


Unseasonable Hope

by Nekos



Category: Persona 4
Genre: Alternate Universe, Character Death, Deja Vu, Early Arrival, M/M, Murder, Revelations, Video Game Mechanics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-05
Updated: 2019-06-22
Packaged: 2019-11-12 09:16:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage
Chapters: 7
Words: 22,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18008114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nekos/pseuds/Nekos
Summary: Everything either falls apart to a slippery slope or it starts anew.Souji struggled for a new life until everything had to restart at a wrong turn. One that Souji didn’t expect that it would turn like this way...





	1. Unexpected Start

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 04/10/2011

Souji was still royally upset over what had happened the other day before moving in to Inaba.

 

It was a stupid fight— _really_ — compare to the previous ones he had with his parents, it's still stupid, yet he was practically thrown out from his home with his baggage— that he had effortlessly prepare a few days ago— exploded across the front yard.

 

Souji had reminded himself that _this_ — wasn't the first time it happened, this usually happens; the screaming, nonstop backlash, getting kicked out from home— Souji adapted it everyday. He tries at the very least. His parents are too demanding and strict for Souji, that every time it gets harder and harder to come home with a meaningful, loving atmosphere going on. Souji sometimes think he was adopted but no evidence that he came from an orphanage. Which gives an unclear answer why he'd wind up outside of the house or inside his room countless times because of his parents' oversensitivity.

 

Souji just wanted to be happy. His parents wouldn't understand. They never did, all they care about Souji being the "perfect child".

 

So Souji didn't turn back, he didn't stand up and lunge at the door with a series of knocks while desperately pleading for their forgiveness, or finds a way to sneak in with an unlock entrance, or wait for his parents to come to their merciful senses. No, he wouldn't do that anymore, this time he'll do it differently, he'll _leave_. Leaving without becoming a burden and shame.

 

Souji flinched when he felt droplets landed on him. Then Souji just happened to be drenched at the next minute.

 

Wonderful.

 

He got kicked out and Gods know when to screw his night even more, a rain pouring down the teenager at the wrong moment.

 

"Lucky me." Souji grumbled after he quickly gather his belongings. Sneezed ungraciously before closing the zipper of bag and trotting towards a place with a roof.

 

By then, Souji didn't want to come back home, ever. He'll turn eighteen next year; so he should be capable of making his own decisions before he gets to that age for his own sake. He could have a place of his own but he lacks the money. Apparently part-time shifts at a convenience store is not much promising. Especially his parents' disapproved of having a son working as a part-timer student at a convenience store. Souji had to cancel continuing his only job after his mother tore the savings Souji earned.

 

He didn't want to stay in the city for long. He has decided. But a few plans will have to renew as Souji went to the station for Inaba, he should be notifying his uncle for his early arrival. But the battery of his phone is dead, he forgot to charge the phone. Souji cursed after he arrives at the bus terminal, one that heads to the station. He still has time, he can buy a ticket this hour, there has to be a ticket this late for Inaba. Souji couldn't handle it anymore. He'd burn the house if he has the power to do so.

 

• • •

 

It's frightening to see Inaba clouded by a storm at midnight. The rain didn't even quieted down. The continuity of the depressing weather, with lightning and thunder; definitely didn't promote Souji's wish for a time out for once in his life. The weather is greedily unwelcoming to Souji's presence. Like he had come at a catastrophic event with a drastic weather on the background.

 

Like none of that would make it any better, Souji and his stuff are still soaking wet. Thankfully, society had some sympathy, the bus driver and the station allowed him to hop on the transportations while the teenager is dripping and shivering. The adults already have the idea of Souji "forgetting his umbrella". It was gladly convincing, they spare him for his display.

 

But Souji didn't ask or care for anyone's sympathy. He just wants to get the hell away from his home.

 

Before getting off the train he mentally want to kick himself when he found out something's missing. He froze to realisation that he forgot the note to his uncle's address. Souji had to look twice, before the conductor with long, curly grey hair came and waited patiently for the teenager to pack his things again (they're not yet dry) after Souji practically littered his stuff on the passenger seat.

 

The note's not there. Souji left it at home.

 

In the station platform Souji didn't stay around like a homeless drenched student, he doesn't want the idea of sleeping in the station either. It's undeniably freezing because of the storm and he's _still_ not dry.

 

He wished he could've contacted his uncle now and forget everything. Start a new life in Inaba this year, maybe... But hopefully it'll be better.

 

Souji had asked the grey haired conductor for a place to stay temporarily. The conductor suggested for the Amagi Inn with a flicker of his red eyes bore at the teenager, the conductor explained that it's not too far from the station.

 

• • •

 

"Goodness! Are you alright, sir!?"

 

Souji sneezed again, and he had to put an effort to smile before explaining his situation to the young woman clad in a pink kimono. But Souji stopped in mid-thought at the young woman's attractive, feminine appearance, taking in the sight. A strand of her long straight black hair falls on the side of her pale face and Souji felt guilt on his stomach watching the tired lady. The young woman looked exhausted, reaching a breaking point. She's probably on break or it's her time to rest, but Souji _had_ to preoccupy her chance to rest as she is to serve him now because of his early arrival.

 

"Can you talk?" Her soft concerned voice tore him away from his thoughts.

 

"Sorry, I zoned out, lightheaded from the hurried trip." He gestures himself sheepishly, the young woman inspects him to acknowledge his drench appearance before facing him again. The water starts seeping on the wooden tiles. "It was an unplanned arrival... I was told this place is nearby at the station. I'm here for registration for the night."

 

The young woman nodded.

 

"I'll get you some towels, you can sit over there as I get them for you." The girl surprisingly runs off easily with her pink kimono. Souji had take a long look at the stressed woman before she completely disappears around the corner.

 

"This is fine. It's going well, so far." Souji whispered to himself. "Nothing will happen."

 

He hoped everything will be okay.

 

It won't be like back at home. No more screaming, scolding, insulting— Souji had enough. But this feeling of uncertainty is still lingering in the teenager and it doesn't reassure him one bit. Why he had felt that just now? It's not good.

 

Souji doesn't like it.

 

Before Souji sits at one of the couches in the quiet lobby, he jumped when he heard footsteps behind him. He whirled towards the sound and stepped aside when a disheveled man in a suit walked passed him without sparing a glance. Souji happened to inspect the face...

 

He looked angry, technically not in the mood. Those dark grey eyes glint in absolute irate.

 

That's not good.

 

"Ngh!" Souji groaned, clutching his chest almost dropping his baggage right after the stranger in a suit left the lobby in silence.

 

Souji panted shortly, waiting for the pain to go away and stood properly, bemused.

 

What was that?

 

The heartache felt like a toll of a heavy bell ringing, its contact with metal and clapper, bashing, ringing, it's pounding merciless. At the very least, that's what Souji felt...

 

The girl in a pink kimono returns shortly after from Souji’s recovery.

 

"Oh. Sir, you should sit down. I have the towels." The girl in a pink kimono came into view, holding a stack of thick, dry towels with a paper in a clipboard on top. "I also have the registration... Are you alright?"

 

Souji wasn't sure anymore. But he replied that he’s fine but he’s not totally fine.

 

Hopefully things will get better tomorrow.

 

• • •

 

Souji didn't sleep. He's still upset.

 

He had to leave the room instead of pacing around in it. It felt clustered, so maybe a little walk outside will help...

 

Walking in big spaces at the middle of the night is a start to calm down. Souji is not planning to let the fight with his parents to lose shit but he’s trying to calm-the-fuck-down.

 

He’s still upset, that that reminder made him remember the fight.

 

_No matter where you go, Souji... Don’t think you’ll have anyone to be there for you, you are to only focus on your studies. Inaba is no different once you get there. I’ll have your uncle notify that he’ll be watching you as you attend school. If you fail, there will be consequences._

Souji repeated “calm down” as he shuts the door to his rented room.

 

It is quiet, except for the heavy raindrops hitting the roof of the inn and thunder in the distance.

 

And the pounding of Souji’s heart.

 

Is he actually still mad that the adrenaline within him will burst or that there’s something... off in this building?

 

...No. Souji doubts the inn is hunted or that it delivers delirium.

 

Souji spots the elevator and approached it before entering in once the doors are opened. He subconsciously went back to the first floor and finds himself walking around with wondrous curiosity. The inn looked old, probably run by generations, yet the raw presence of traditional Japanese interior designing didn’t fail to impress Souji. The workers and employees have done well to maintain the art of the building from being languished.

 

Souji didn’t realise he had kept walking and staring at the vivid paintings in the hallways as he happen to hear a conversation, muffled and hushed.

 

That’s where it started, his stupid mistake.

 

Souji walks slowly— the feeling of uncertainty returns—until he heard a voice, a man, clear and sharp. "—an affair and whatnot ......it's all a lie, right?"

 

Souji stopped walking at the corner of the wall, around it is probably where the conversation is leading.

 

A woman’s voice followed, hesitant. "Why do I have to explain myself to you...?"

 

Souji hears a couple of footsteps from more than one person.

 

"I see... So you don't deny it." A disappointed tone, slowly meeting its turning point. "You caught my eye, but it turns out you're another worthless bitch..."

 

This time only person takes a couple of steps. Per step makes Souji’s heart skip a beat by the tension.

 

What on earth is going on?

 

When Souji heard someone cursed from the conversation, he felt knots in his stomach.

 

_Worthless bitch._

 

Who is—

 

"What's wrong with you...? D-Don't make me call for help!"

 

A growl. "Ugh, shut up, shut up, shut up."

 

Then a surprised gasp...

 

Souji takes a peek from instinct.

 

The silver-haired teenager flinched when he inspects upon the scene of a familiar woman getting her mouth clasped shut, looking back at the man in wide eyes. The offender’s back is turned from Souji. "I think you need to see what's like to _fear for your life_... It'll get your head straight."

 

Fear for you life?

 

....Who are they? And, what is happening...?!

 

To Souji’s account of awareness he recognise the woman in danger: Mayumi Yamano. He happened to see her on TV last week before the story about the “Love Triangle” occurred with Taro Namatame and Misuzu Hiragi...

 

But Mayumi Yamano, she’s here in Inaba?

 

Then who’s she with, just now?

 

There’s that huge TV Souji sees in the waiting area of the lobby, the image shows the man’s reflection.

 

Souji interpreted a sinister smile.

 

The man said something mischievously that Souji almost didn’t hear it. “For example...”

 

The next thing happened; Souji’s face shifted to utter shock.

 

He expected the stranger would shove Mayumi to the TV, that the screen would shatter against the impact but the expected incident never came.

 

Instead, the woman goes _into the TV_. Almost all of her body is to be swallowed in.

 

Souji instinctively move from his hiding spot as Mayumi struggled to hold against the man who keeps pushing her in.

 

"N—"

 

Before a word came out from Souji, Mayumi vanished.

 

She is sucked in the TV.

 

Inside. the. tv.

 

Souji’s mouth and eyes went wide open like he was almost mimicking a creepy, paranormal ghost from a movie.

 

"She fell in..." The offender said, surprised at his actions. Then he started laughing hysterically after he gave out a chuckle, clutching his face with bubbling a messed up euphoria. "That’s amazing...! So people can go all the way in!"

 

The twisted offender continued to laugh but then stopped in midway, staring hard at a certain direction that Souji realised the man is staring at the TV.

 

More likely the reflection— Souji’s reflection.

 

Both grey eyes meet at the screen of the TV.

 

Shit.


	2. Blooming Nostalgia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Souji needs sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 04/10-11/2011

Time's ready to strike past midnight and Souji felt hot.

 

Inaba is exhibited with an atrocious storm that unsettles Souji even more. The storm that accompanied him from the city to Inaba, it gets worse around the corner. Every breath Souji takes, composed him to be in utter hopeless situations that direst his process to tranquillity. He had hoped for a better chance of a better restart but he hadn't expected that it would've gone this way...

 

For that he had locked himself in the room he rented for the night.

 

The night that was supposed to be a time to rest.

 

The night that was supposed to be a time that Souji takes a peaceful nap.

 

The night that was supposed to be the opposite of having a panic attack in the corner of the room, wondering how to get the hell out of Inaba without getting caught from the man who did a horrible and shocking act right in front of Souji's eyes.

 

Souji doesn't know what to do...

 

Because of that, Souji is sitting with his arms wrapped around his legs, his knees pressed against his chest that he can visibly feel the traumatic pounding of his heartbeat in him. His breathing is unsteady, his body laced of consecutive trembling, his self is losing from a hollowed guilt.

 

He felt sick.

 

He felt like he should’ve done something...! But what can he do? Souji doesn’t know what’s going on.

 

"This is wrong." Souji whispered to himself, the feeling of uncertainty within him grows stronger, and felt unfurling. "This is so wrong..."

 

He had witnessed a scene that he wasn't sure how to reciporcate. Let alone evince his sense of doubt— only to believe everything what had happened is just a prank. A stupid prank. A foolish one... But...

 

... that part when Mayumi went inside the TV is surreal.

 

Souji had watched magic shows when he was a kid, shows about the talented, smart guy in a mask. The Unknown. There are tricks that are outstandingly performances when the masked man walked in a swimming pool, swimmers swam underneath his dress shoes, or even that time when the masked magician is to shot a lady in bow and arrow but the lady assistant is alive, numerous tricks that left Souji awed. There are also talent shows that performers danced even if their bodies break, singers when their voices can manipulate people, even animals corporate, there was even a chicken who played the piano to play the national anthem.

 

...Besides the point, there’s something off. 

 

Souji had seen magic, fake ones that can trick people’s eyes from the truth that everything is just calculated, practiced, and acted. But what about the one he saw just now? Was it magic? A black magic? A taboo?

 

How can that guy—

 

"That's stupid!" Souji furiously whispered to himself before he can finish that thought."How can a person enter a television?!"

 

Souji sighs loudly, yet his warm, weak body is causing him to restrain his outburst. Is he having a fever?

 

"This is all just a sick prank..."

 

_Ping!_

 

Besides Souji, his phone turns on with a notification, the screen flashed brightly in the dark room. Quietly, the grey-haired teenager inspects his device, it had convey a message, saying the current date.

 

April 11.

 

Souji let out a huffed breath, he hadn't had sleep and it's already Monday. His uncle might be expecting the teenager to be at the station, nine o'clock in the morning. Like how the plan should be ever since Souji heard the news of him being dropped off to a far away place.

 

He needs to take rest and make a break for it. Otherwise...

 

_What would happened if your were to be shoved in a TV?_

 

The grey-haired teenager visibly shuddered in his seat.

 

Souji slowly stood up from his hiding spot, gripping the phone in anxiousness, and approaching his bed in silence. Warmth. It’s hot. It’s all over Souji’s body, it seems like his drenching season in the rain has caused him to be inflicted by a fever now.

 

Speaking of, it had every inch of his body to abruptly stop from responding and the teenager happened to collapse on the floor, dropping his phone.

 

Souji head's throbbed in agony. The unimaginable torment of the teenager's skull malfunctioned his control. This is a different symptom or is it head rushed? But it’s too painful to endure for a simple headrush, Souji is seeing white instead of black spots.

 

" _Ah_..." Souji moaned, hurting, his hands are planted on his head.

 

Before this affliction, Souji felt pain shot through his heart when he was at the lobby, he thought there's something wrong with him. But, to his memory since childhood, he never had history with cardiac arrests, ever, no health records will prove it. His parents would tell him this— even if they're not in good circumstances— that Souji had to stay untroubled. But, honestly he doesn't have a flaw. Therefore, there's nothing, physically, wrong with the perfectly healthy teenager.

 

Souji knows himself more than anyone else. So why is he feeling like this?

 

After a moment, the headache vanished and Souji returns his stable conscious state. The adolescent hadn't noticed his phone is still on and unlocked, brightness shone its way to Souji's face that made him squint. The light worsen his headache, that it'll convert to a migraine, soon. Irritated, Souji reaches out, and involuntarily presses a different button as he fumbles the screen with shaky hands.

 

The screen in the home section changed to the contacts. And Souji blinked once, then twice.

 

Dumbfounded at the unanticipated, there's an unfamiliar number, Souji knew his contacts only contains the numbers of his parents, his friendly neighbour, and his kendo teacher. But this "new" number, it is spotted on the top list and— instead it is suppose to be 'unknown' since Souji doesn't know who is this— it is named, one that Souji can't identify.

 

"...Adachi-...san?" Souji murmured.

 

The first surprising perceived thought Souji thinkwas: why does that name sounded familiar?

 

Adachi. Tohru Adachi was the full name in the info but it is listed on the context as Adachi-san. There's not much information about him, whoever this is.

 

This is getting out of hand and creepy at the same time. When had he apply that number to his contacts and who is this person?

 

Souji's too tired to think, so much has been going on... Which he had remembered that when him and the offender exchanged stares at their reflections in the TV lobby, Souji ran away as fast as he could. His previous, nervous sweat mixing with the produced ones while he's running, Souji scampered off the halls once he found the elevator and immediately shut the doors before the man see his face.

 

Souji silently prayed that he couldn't encounter the man in the floor that he's staying at but he only met emptiness as he stepped out of the elevator. He had shut the door tightly, and turned the lights off to avoid attention. Souji had never been scared for his life, and hasn't run like that ever since last soccer's game in the city.

 

"I need sleep." Souji muttered, running a hand on his exhausted face.

 

He left his phone unattended next to his bag. Then Souji went to the futon, laying down with a contented sigh as his muscles relaxed on the soft bed. He tried to tranquil the uneasiness within him but it didn't work when he kept replaying the event downstairs in his head. Eventually, with Souji's fatigue from the trip, he laid back and shut his eyes, slowly drifting off peacefully (from whatever it is called now).

 

When Souji woke up, he was in a different place. Everything is blue.

 

"Welcome to the Velvet Room."

 

His body shot up from where he sat as he heard a voice, when he noticed his surroundings is different, his eyes casted to almost everywhere that he can muster, but to his surprise he cannot comprehend what is happening and where he is right now. Everything has a touch of blue, especially from outside with a glittering aura— as Souji can tell— outside of the windows, of a car... is this a _limousine_?

 

Souji gaped, was he _kidnapped_?!

 

Outside, Souji cannot see one material from the windows, only absolute emptiness. Kidnapped in a fairly odd treatment, Souji found himself looking at the limo, he wasn't sure what to comment. Every interior of the car is blue, the floor, the blue velvet cushions, the curtains, the roof laced with almost neon hue lights. There are some cases of miscellaneous objects that aren't blue like the wine displayed to his left and series of glasses for drinking, it almost like a mini version of a bar. Souji even spotted a couple of glasses, red wine and champagne next to a person...

 

A person. Souji realised he's not alone, considering he just happened to wake up from his sleep from a welcoming voice.

 

In front of Souji, he first inspected the window to the driver but is found closed shut, and Souji skeptically wondered who’s driving and where is he located now, he doesn’t know where to go if he were to escape. Then there’s a blue low-table behind it is a peculiar-looking old man sitting across Souji, he is dressed well, has an unswayed expression mixed with an expectant look, but Souji cannot ignore from looking that fact that the old man has an inhumanly long nose. Next to the senior is a young lady with a faded blonde hair almost platinum, clad in blue matched to the entire interior of the limousine, she’s holding a huge tome that rests in her lap. She looked almost gorgeous if it weren't for her neutral ambiance, yet her golden eyes pierced in robust that made Souji think twice of her presence.

 

"Ah... It seems we have a guest with an intriguing destiny..." the old man began before he chuckled. "My name is Igor... I am delighted to make your acquaintance."

 

Igor. Souji noted. The man named Igor smiled from an almost joyful expression but Souji can't off the feeling like Souji had seen before, like this had happened— what? Exactly what Souji had meant by that?

 

Thinking of it, the touch of blue, Souji felt nostalgic. The old man named Igor is familiar and the lady next to him felt like she and Souji are (once?) connected to a bond...

 

"...Have we met before?" Souji said before stopping himself.

 

Igor and the young lady glanced each other quietly at the remark.

 

"I... Sorry." Souji shook his head at the ridiculous question. "... I don't know what am I saying...“ the teenager hesitated but went for it anyway. “Where am I? What is this place?"

 

Before Igor continues, he and the lady nodded as a sort of a communication. Souji doesn't want to know why, he had a feeling he was being untold or skeptical to a certain reason. Like they both have something to hold back that Souji is not in the position to ask for.

 

"This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter..." Igor answered without a trace of hesitation to continue. "It is a room that only those who are bound by a "contract" may enter... It may be that such a fate awaits you in the near future. Now then... why don't you introduce yourself...?"

 

Apparently, Igor and the blue lady doesn't know the teenager. After a moment, Souji told him his full name. Despite unaware what's going on Souji doesn't distinguish any wariness, at all, in some point.

 

Igor, relieved of Souji responding, continues by summoning blue tarot cards after the old man announced of looking at Souji's future. The teenager was left in awe as he witnessed Igor controlling the fortune cards that are placed accordingly in specific format.

 

Souji listened to Igor's fortune telling, but it wasn't as competent as Souji expected, his near future is set upon an imminent catastrophe, and beyond that future is filled with hesitation, mystery, a misfortune. Yet Souji knows there's nothing right in his life, so the outcome of Igor's fortune telling doesn't leave Souji anxious.

 

"In the coming days you will enter into a contract of some sort, after which you will return here. The coming year is a turning point in your destiny... If the mystery goes unsolved, your future may be forever lost." Igor unnaturally paused. "My duty is to provide assistance to our guests to ensure that does not happen,"

 

Igor sent away the tarot cards in a whoosh.

 

"Ah! I have neglected you to introduce my assistant to you..." Igor said as he gestures the lady next to him. "This is Margaret. She is the resident of this place like myself."

 

The blue lady finally talked as she thoroughly faces their guest, it sent Souji a chill down his spine by her unfazed image and voice. "My name is Margaret. I am here to accompany you through your journey."

 

Igor focused on Souji once more. "We shall attend details for another time. Until then, farewell..."

 

After that Souji woke up when everything went black.

 

The teenager, altogether muted and dulled, silently grasps the extramundane event as he stares blankly in the ceiling. His weariness had disappeared but his mindset isn't. He was still formulating a plan how this day will go, he wondered if that guy from downstairs is still there, he is still traumatised of what happened last night, he was left... he felt many things and many questions arise from the "Velvet Room" thing.

 

Was that a play right before him? Something about his future is on the brink of collapse. Or was it a dream? It didn't feel like one, Souji remembered the cushions underneath him, the presence of two blue residents, — it felt real. Where had it come from?

 

Souji never had encounters like this before, he’d be already panicking to the inexplicable situations if it weren’t for his high level and trained maturity. In the past, Souji had encountered countless ugly things that he wish to forget. All the negativity of the reality, Souji knows how to compare what is right and wrong, what crazy and what is not, what is stupid and what is not. Souji practiced to interpret the beyond and the upcoming climax of a person, a situation, a place, and the turning point. But still when Souji arrived in Inaba, this is something new, Mayumi got inside the TV and the Velvet Room.

 

Souji brushes off his thoughts, right now he needs to meet his uncle. He doesn’t want to draw suspicion from what Souji had memories on his first day. The teenager stands up from the futon to check his phone, the time is now passed seven o'clock, he still has time, originally he was going to meet his maternal relative at nine.

 

Souji tossed his phone after rechecking the unknown number in his contacts.

 

Adachi-san.

 

It's still there.

 

Souji redouble his decision to block the phone number for caution.

 

Souji groaned internally when he did, then mentally prepare himself for the day to come.

 

April 11. The day that Souji was supposed to arrive due to his destiny, unlike his previous times, Souji had arrived at Inaba at April 10. Souji happened to witness an inexplicable scene in the Amagi Inn lobby, the time Mayumi get shoved in the TV, that Souji didn’t know whether or not his unfortunate destiny might be related to that case on that day.

 

• • •

 

In the Velvet Room, Margaret watched Souji in neutral. The teenager had met his uncle and cousin not on the station but on his way to Junes. Another course of action had changed that Margaret has grew wary for the next minute of every alternative Souji made for each day to come. Souji did not meet _her_ , that soon-to-be Velvet resident, the one who is snappy, short-tempered, an upcoming avalanche in the future. Margaret is to oblige her assistance for their guest.

 

Through this whole phenomenon, deep down Margaret is skeptical over Souji’s absurd decision. Margaret unnaturally pities over the other bonds Souji will manufacture with.

 

The Velvet residents’ majority is to follow and serve, attachment is also an exception but a dangerous path to tamper the potential of a Wild Card’s nature. Margaret is not in the position to penetrate a guest’s contract but this is entirely a different situation for Margaret to correspond.

 

As they watched Souji— his fever is getting worse— meeting his uncle and cousin at Junes, the uncle was surprised of Souji’s location, Margaret had looked away, she cannot watch the Hierophant and Justice. The tome in her hands responded a faint vibrant from sheer power, developing in Souji’s indefinite attraction from the arcanas he will soon take.

 

Will Souji be able to grasp their connection again? Margaret wonders, will her guest be able to use the Personas they’ve created?

 

"Master," Margaret solemnly began. "our guest will soon remember everything. His power had attain his wishes for _this_ to happen, yet his memories are to compete against it. What was he trying to accomplish exactly?"

Until now, Margaret isn’t positive of what Souji is trying to accomplish once that kid will realise his attempt will not work. This whole operation will soon fail. But Margaret didn’t stop their guest, she had kept her promise well, including Igor. They just have to wait and see, Souji has yet to fail them.

 

"I do not question our guests motives but this is entirely different..." Igor replied. "Even I did not anticipate this, but our guest chose this method for a reason..."

 

"I'd say it was a selfish move."

 

"We are not to distinguish, Margaret." The old man said as he glanced at his assistant with an appointed look. "Especially, when he is not alone to acknowledge this...”

 

Margaret gawked at her master. "You mean..." she wavered. "there's someone else? I did not sense another...."

 

Igor noted her with a nod. "The one we had to pursue before him, his power is entirely a unique tier but indifferent... He was able to resist our guest's potential."

 

 _So it will never work, huh?_ Margaret thought. Whatever Souji does there’s always a threat even if it’s from the past.

 

"Our guest's future didn't change though, I expected the opposite. Or did you..." Margaret waited, expecting her master to warn her boundaries of questioning.

 

Igor shook his head, slowly but surely. There was something in his face that Margaret could call a frown that she didn’t expect from her master. "Our guest... he, alone, will have to deal the exterior he created, and we’ll see if it’ll bear fruition.”


	3. It Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Souji’s first day of school commences.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 04/12/2011

When Souji opens his eyes, he found himself on kneeling on the floor at an unknown location. After regaining his full consciousness, he stands up and warily looks around in silence, taking in the inexplicable sight.

 

The area is covered in a thick fog, it almost concealed the unanticipated scenery of what Souji barely accounted for. Other than the fog, he only perceives a road ahead of him, it's formulated to only one path, like it is not for people to meander at a place like this.

 

Souji glances down and the sight of it makes his heart unconsciously hammer to an erratic pace against his ribcage. Why a random floor— that is peculiarly designed by red, lengthening cubes or tiles(?)— reminds Souji that it's colour, pattern, and aesthetic design is _ominous_?

 

Not only that, Souji felt that he had seen this kind of interior before. A feeling of familiarity, like a deja vu.

 

In the city, Souji has never seen this kind of setting, this could only be found in such movies that correlates to fantasy genres. But there are no people with him, no walls or ceilings, no doors or windows. Only an ominous path and the thick fog. Thicker than Souji would've contemplate singlehandedly, a fog that oddly embraces him.

 

When Souji heaves a deep, nervous breath, he takes a step, then a loud series of _cracking_ halted Souji from continuing to walk further. Anxiously, Souji checks the source but his eyes found itself strayed glued to the floor that starts to crack across the platform.

 

_The reality of this realm is breaking._

 

Around the teenager, the floor starts splitting unevenly it is followed by the whole area to lose intact of its structure. It's like Souji is watching a frame of a picture to crack across the image entirely, only with the picture to tear with as well.

 

The floor shakes, then finishes the lines and branches of cracks to the entire platform, some tiles starts crumbles debris but consequently forms into nothing as if it disappears existentially or falls to the now gaping abyss that greets Souji below him.

 

The fog retreats after its area meets its falling state completely, the sub parts of the platform falls to the abyss then it becomes into nothing after it travels few meters below.

 

Panicked of what is happening, Souji tries to stay away from the bottomless pit that forms bigger and bigger closer to him. But, Souji, abruptly couldn't move like stone, his body froze. All of his system replies unresponsive as he tries to move an inch to get away, but his will seems to defy him.

 

Souji doesn't know whether or not he'll fall to the abyss if the ground beneath him will break and send him falling.

 

It did. Souji couldn't produce a sound when he's startled—

 

—Souji gasped when he opens his eyes, breathing hard, and he's now uncomfortably laying at a ground. Souji shot up in an awkward movement, then a instant feeling of heavy torment strikes his heart. Souji wheezes with surprise, he clenches a hand above his chest of where the pain is circulating, wincing and panting in pain, Souji tries to breath normally.

 

An agony in his pounding heart; it felt like it is metaphorically breaking, it hurts, _so_ _bad_. What's happening? Why is he in pain? He doesn't any cardiac problems. Souji doesn't know what is happening to him. Is he dying? Is he going to die _here_? _Where is here_? Was he transported to another place from before?

 

While Souji is hurting, he acknowledges a presence ahead of him, with the thick fog surrounding the teenager again. A glimpse of pair shimmering red blood-like orbs looking down on him before it is obscured by a white sheet.

 

"Such a poor, desperate man," the stranger says, a shudder runs down to Souji because it greeted him that sounded _beyond_ human, and it doesn't signify a gender based on its neutral voice, and the frame because of the fog.

 

Yet, Souji blinks and sees the stranger right before him as it the imagine turns clearer. From head to toe, the stranger is covered by white robes. Its mouth is only exposed, while the rest of its face and head is obscured by a large, thin, white cloth that is supposed to function as a hoodie, as if it's intentional for Souji to see this person only talking. The stranger also wears multiple layers of white garments that looked like someone's impersonating a noble from a Heian period. That amount of that clothing will make a person increase its weight, but this stranger is _floating, hovering_ above the ground in ease.

 

Souji discerned that this stranger is facing him, is not a human, at all. But this is just a dream, and Souji will wake up at any moment.

 

Souji can see the skin tone around its mouth, it is paler than he had ever seen a human would have, Souji felt chills just by looking at it, he couldn't identify who it is but it's like he's looking at a ghost.

 

The stranger speaks in a soft, gentle voice. It's exposed mouth is moving, but curls to a cruel smile. "Do you see the consequences of your actions, mh?"

 

After Souji takes in the sight of the stranger and hears that inhuman voice again, his heart is still hurting but lesser than before. Souji stands straight with effort, slowly but he succeeds, his hand rests idly on his chest, before he looks at the white clothed stranger with some sort of familiar rage bubbling up in him.

 

Familiar rage. Familiar. Again, familiar, Souji is having another deja vu, about his emotions this time. Souji had never felt this pure rage since...

 

That's odd, Souji has never been mad at anyone with this level of anger before, not even at his parents. But looking at the stranger in white triggers another degree of deja vu. Had he met this person before, in a different place? A street? Road? Wasn't raining that time? Besides a place called...?

 

Being conceived by a heartache and to overthink in a place like this, it is not appealing for Souji to contemplate what the stranger had just said to make him more confused in the situation he's in.

 

Souji would've answered or questioned what the stranger had meant by the consequences he created. He attempted to reply, but his mouth can't open or move. And Souji remembered that this is a dream, Souji grunted in dissatisfaction that he is forced to listen this ominous stranger.

 

The stranger's smile widen even more when it notices Souji's inability to deviate against this. Souji shifts his one foot to another, uncomfortably and mentally prepared at _something_ , as the stranger moves its hooded head in a slow, deliberate motion, focusing on eyeing at various places, observing at something. Although there's nothing to look at, Souji and this stranger is in an empty place filled with fog, but the stranger didn't seem to bother what he or she is actually looking but there's something the stranger is staring at, probably beyond this place.

 

"This part of reality is breaking apart because of _you_." The stranger returns it's focused on Souji, looking at him. How can that person see him with its eyes are covered? "If you think, you can defy me just so that your wish can be granted," The stranger shakes its head with a taunting motion before its mouth shifted to a menacing smirk. " _think_ again..."

 

With that, the fog bewilderedly thickens around the teenager, losing Souji's sheer of consciousness. Souji snaps his gaze back to the stranger but only to look at nothing.

 

"This is what happens when your emotions gets the better of you," The stranger said, its voice booming all over the place like it had amplified a greater approach to send Souji a dramatic sendoff.

 

Souji's eyes became heavier and heavier, until his body falls down to the ground with a thud.

 

The stranger humourlessly laughed, it almost sounded a female-like tone yet it contradicts into a threatening and neutral one. "It's all because you're a selfish human being, son of man."

 

• • •

 

The day lets on after Souji slips on to his Yasogami uniform and had breakfast with his cousin. Along the way, Souji had missed fewer details about his maternal family until Nanako had told him fair informations during the morning meals (Nanako was the one who cooked and left Souji impressed).

 

Souji had another deja vu when he finds himself looking for his uncle.

 

"Did your father go to work?"

 

If Nanako would frown at the question, she would but she doesn't have to. Souji can see the disappointment (a familiar expression that Souji had seen before but he just met his cousin) in her eyes, there's must be some kind of problem to the little Dojima. "There was some kind of trouble. He won't be back."

 

Souji went alarmed. "Trouble? Did something happened at work?"

 

Nanako shakes her head to reassure the grey-haired teenager. "He says he needs to investigate something this early." With that, Souji responded with slightly tilting his head at the vague answer, confused. Nanako saw it and hurriedly added, “My dad is a detective; he investigates stuff. Like crime scenes.”

 

With that, Souji pondered in discontentment. Of course, Souji would be here of all place with of all people he would move with (there's nothing wrong with his cousin). So his uncle is a detective, did his parents intentionally moved Souji to a relative that happens to be an officer? In a way for _someone_ reliable to watch over Souji with a sense of discipline? Souji never expects too much from his parents for his sake, but him moving in with a detective, it caught him off guard.

 

They'd probably wanted Souji to be more civilised and proper, like how they wanted their "ideal" son to be.

 

After breakfast, the two cousins washed the dishes together, and starts preparing their school bags, and umbrellas for the rain. Souji silently watches Nanako sling her small, red backpack behind her. Then, with curiosity, Souji asked Nanako where her mother and siblings had been at. The grey-haired teenager had taken awareness that he’s been with the daughter and father for a while that he anticipated to meet the rest of the family members.

 

"I don't have a mom and siblings, it's just me and dad, here."

 

Souji went rigid when he was about to wear his dress shoes, before continuing by saying, "I... I'm sorry."

 

"That's okay, it's nice to have someone like you around." Nanako smiles sweetly before she pulls out her yellow umbrella, undoing the parasol after opening the door to prevent from being soaked in the rain. "You're part of the family after all."

 

At the Samegawa Flood Plain, Nanako and Souji separated for their own schools. Nanako's genuine words remained on Souji's mind, it sends the silver-haired teenager in high-spirits.

 

By then, it's peaceful, it felt like a normal high school life that is about to happened. Souji wanted this, to be someone uninvolved from troubled events like the Amagi Inn incident, and the ‘Velvet Room’ thing. Everything is on the ordinary occurence, he met his maternal relatives, he rested for the whole day due to his fever. But then that enigmatic nightmare, and the deja vus he's having constantly ever since he woke up, unsettles his first day of school.

 

At the School zone, the intersection in front of the school, Souji had another deja vu when a Yasogami student crashes down with his bike on the side of the street. Souji stopped walking as he stares the pained student, then Souji felt another familiar vibe by watching it, like he knew _that_ will happened. Souji shakes his head in irritation and continues going to school in silence. He wishes for the deja vus’ to stop alarming his sanity.

 

Arriving in the main gates of the Yasogami High School, Souji felt another deja vu.

 

"This is the third deja vu..." Souji muttered and it is true. He finds himself to simply recognise the school even if it is his first time encountering it. He may have seen it in the pictures during applying for his transfer or, maybe, from another time.

 

With all that has happened, what kind of student life awaits Souji here...?

 

The third deja vu immediately followed by another one when Souji met Kinshiro Mooraka, his homeroom teacher, at the Faculty Office. After the teacher and the new student introduced, Souji withstand and adapted his adviser's behaviour and judgemental rambling. Souji never met an unwonted teacher like Mooroka back from the city but the uncharacteristic traits of ateacher is vaguely familiar. Maybe it's the constant deja vu or Souji’s high tier of patience is working...?

 

At the classroom: Class 2-2, his high school life begins with his introduction. Souji quietly stood next to Mooroka, without a tick of nervousness eating him. Mooroka babbles nonsense about teenagers being impure, and useless due to what had the teenage culture has evolved into. Souji couldn't believe to what he's listening to, that he almost exasperatedly sigh aloud, in front of the class and teacher. The fact that he'll be stuck with Mooroka for a year, it's insufferable. Suffice to say, Mooroka is just... _intolerable_.

 

Lest to anger Mooroka, Souji's irked (although he shows none of it) when his homeroom affronted him by calling a sad sack and a loser.

 

It’s unnecessary. Souji knows himself more than anyone, and he accepted what he is and what he can do. But him, of all people, is far from being a sad sack and a loser to the situations back in the city.

 

He knows his situation is not that pathetic but due what happened with his parents, it does seem pathetic. But being transferred here for a year because no one is taking care of him in the city, doesn't make him more of a loser. He's just a loner...

 

Although, Souji felt personally irritated because of what Mooroka called him, it reminded him of him parents criticising on his flaws, and tells him what to do. Souji hated those kinds of adults.

 

_You should focus on your studies, Souji. Not wasting your time on such trivial things._

_I don't want my child being looked down by other people. I want you to more successful than others, Souji. I don't want a disappointing son. Don't fail me. Don't be a loser like how those children calls you._

 

"Tell 'em your name kid, and make it quick."

 

Another deja vu, Souji lost count. But Souji is seething, he needs to control it. Souji looks at homeroom teacher with an unfazed state. "...You calling me a _loser_?"

 

The whole class gaped at Souji, Souji expected this, to receive such a strong response from the audience.

 

"Ha?!" Mooraka exclaimed, and raised his hand with an intention. Souji knows more than anyone on what his teacher is about to do, Souji moved by his instincts. "Hey, you!"

 

Effortlessly, before Souji could receive a strike, he caught the adults hand and gently immobilise it to shake with a greeting instead. "It's nice to meet you.”

 

"Wh-What the... what?" Mooraka said while twitching his eyes and inhumanly large teeth by shock, before slapping Souji's grasp away. " _You_ ,” Mooroka points his finger to the new student. “are on my shit list.”

 

Souji received a series of insulting lectures. Despite of it, Souji felt satisfied, he intimidated the teacher because Mooroka was about to hit him. Souji listens in silence until a girl in a green jacket waves and hollers Mooroka, stopping the teacher. Souji finally seats.

 

• • •

 

After hours, class is over. Souji was about to prepare his stuff and leave until the school intercom caught everyone's attention.

 

"Attention, all teachers. Please report immediately to the Faculty Office for a brief staff meeting. All students must return to their classrooms and are not to leave the school until further notice."

 

Then, Souji had another deja vu, with a uneasy chill this time. He noticed his body is shaking in nervousness. He doesn’t know why.

 

_Thump_ _. Thump._

 

The homeroom teacher went displeased. " _Hmp_. You heard the announcement. Don't go anywhere until you hear otherwise."

 

Mooroka left. Souji let out a breather when he realised he’s been holding his breath.

 

In not less than a minute, there’s sounds of sirens— it felt familiar. No. Souji have heard of sirens in emergencies before, more so in the city, but this time he felt that the sirens will show up at this specific minute and hour, he didn't know why.

 

It must've been the series of deja vu he's having, when he has it, he knows sort-of what will happen next, with the same time he doesn't know what will happen next because it unexpectedly changes despite the event is already predicted.

 

_Thump. Thump._

 

The fog from outside, Souji sees it by the windows, obscured by any view. He has seen this image and felt it before. But he knows it’s not in this reality.

 

_THUMP. THUMP._

 

When had his heart starts beating so loud and _intense_?

 

"Hey, did you hear? I hear that paparazzi's looking all over for that announcer."

 

"Oh yeah. You mean _Mayumi Yamano_ , right?"

 

Souji froze. What about the announcer?

 

"I heard some guys spotted her at the shopping district."

 

"Actually, I heard that..."

 

Whispers.

 

"Are you serious?"

 

Souji happens to see a male student approaching the girl in a red jacket.

 

"H-hey, Yukiko-san. Mind if I ask you something...? Is it true that your announcer's staying at your family's inn?"

 

Souji whipped his head towards the conversation, his heart is beating faster. He examined the girl in red, peering her face but he can’t see.

 

"I can't discuss such things." The girl in red replies.

 

"Y-yeah, I guess not." The student runs off when the girl in green approaches the one in red or that _Yukiko_ person.

 

Souji swallowed. It can’t be... what he had heard just now, is she an Amagi? If she is one of the family members who owns the _only inn in Inaba_ Souji stayed two days ago, he has to leave. He cannot be seen. Souji’s the only one who knows what happened to Mayumi Yamano. When will the school intercom let them leave?

 

A sigh. “Sheesh, how much longer is this gonna take?”

 

“There’s no telling.”

 

“I shoulda left before the announcement came on...”

 

 _You and me, both_. Souji silently agrees, he continues to listen the two girls in jackets.

 

“By the way, didja try what I told you the other day? You know... that thing about rainy nights...”

 

“Oh... No, not yet. Sorry.”

 

"Ahhh, that’s okay. It's just, I heard a guy in the class for yell something like ‘My soulmate is Yamano, the _announcer_!’”

 

_You caught my eye, but it turns out you're another worthless bitch..._

 

Souji let out a nervous breath, is the world taunting him now? He wanted to forget what happened _that_  night.

 

To Souji desperation, the school intercom came back. "Attention, all students. There has been an incident inside the school district. Police officers have been dispatched around the School Zone. Please stay calm and contact your parents or guardians as soon as possible, and quickly leave the school grounds. Do not disturb the police officers. Head directly home. I repeat..."

 

Souji went rigid. To his previous schools in the city, he never received announcements like this before. There was no incident, no police offers, his parents make sure Souji is uninvolved by such official business of the public. Why is there an incident in the school district? Even with the police involving, is his uncle— a detective— nearby?

 

_There was some kind of trouble. He won't be back._

 

Trouble. Incident. Souji has a bad feeling about this.

 

" _Incident_!?"

 

"What, something actually happened?"

 

"C'mon, lets go take a look!"

 

 _Don't these people have anything better to do_? Souji thought before opening his school bag, and gathering all his things.

 

It’s an urgent feeling Souji has been pondering, he needed to leave as he can. Before he could, someone interrupts him.

 

"Hey, are you going home by yourself? Why don't you come with us?"

 

Souji has another deja vu by that question, but that's not all...

 

"Oh, nearly forgot! I'm Chie Satonaka. You know I sit next to you, right?"

 

Souji nodded. "Of course."

 

The girl smiledm welcoming. "Well, nice to meet you!" Satonaka looks at her friend beside her. "This is Yukiko Amagi."

 

 _Amagi_? Souji eye's widen, as well as the girl in red. Souji wasn’t wrong after all, one of the owners of the Amagi Inn is his classmate. The girl, in a pink kimono, that served him two days ago, is _his classmate_.

 

How could Souji haven’t seen her so soon?


	4. Losing distance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Souji’s meets new people, but the peaceful atmosphere doesn’t last long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 04/12/2011

"Wait, _hold up_." Chie says, her hands are raised to halt the three of them from walking, pausing for a moment. “So you two _met_ before and _nothing happened_?"

 

"Yes. Geez, Chie, how many times do I have to say that?" Yukiko wearily sighs, her eyes closed for a moment, then she faces between her friend and Souji. "I'm sorry for this—"

 

"Annnddd no history or somewhat— that I may not be aware— as of now?" Chie nudges her elbows to the Amagi. Yukiko doesn’t answer, but she shakes her head. The brown-haired girl makes a face. “Really?”

 

Yukiko gave Chie a blank stare. "He arrived in Inaba, pouring and all, and he had no place to stay beforehand. I only served him as a guest of the inn. That’s all.”

 

"Oh.” Chie went dispirited before she faces Souji. “Sorry to hear about what. You could’ve gotten sick by the storm.”

 

Souji nods, appreciated at her concern. “I did, but I recovered.”

 

Yukiko sighs in relief. “Thank goodness, I was worried you’d left with a cold and something bad could have happened to you.”

 

Chie nodded in agreement before the three of them continued forth in the road. Before Souji notices his chest felt oddly irked, was his heart aching? Why now?

 

Why does he feel guilty?

 

Along the way, Souji had himself spectating the following, familiar events that’s taken place, but with strings of deja vus emerging on his mind. All led to him— at some point— he's going to lose it. Souji doesn't understand what's going on anymore. Is this even a normal student life?

 

Before they left the campus, Souji finds himself involuntarily reacting at certain moments directed to certain people he never met before, despite the previous encounter with the Amagi heiress. After he and Yukiko had come to a proper greeting, there’s a boy that Souji had seen before, the one who’s riding a bike to school. Souji had himself smiling at the time when Chie kicked the guy in the crotch (ouch) because of her DVD to returned broken. And Souji realised it, he had turned away from the others to hide his unexpected laughter. But the student in pain had noticed him.

 

“Y-you even made me a bad first impression to the new guy, Chie!”

 

“That’s what you get, Yosuke.” Chie snarled. “Seta-kun, don’t bother him. C’mon, let’s go.”

 

Souji’ heart is in pain again, and Souji feels guilty.

 

The second part came with a strong pull of deja vu by the front gates. Souji had himself tensed when he saw a student, who was apparently is “waiting” for Yukiko. He has this creepy vibe going on, but Souji didn’t care for that, he’s more surprised at acknowledging his own abrupt seething when he’s looking at the disheveled student from another school.

 

When he left after being rejected, Yukiko is more confused than ever. "Wh-What did he want from me...?"

 

"What did he want...? Obviously, he was asking you out on a date." Chie answers.

 

"Huh? Really...?"

 

"You really had no clue? Sheesh..." Chie made a face. "but then again, that was way over the top. It was creepy how he called you Yuki all of a sudden."

 

“You should stay away from him."

 

By that, both girls looks at Souji with unsure expressions. "Huh?"

 

"It's just... there's something off about him."

 

Souji felt that it’s a knack troubling him to tell, so he did. But he doesn’t know why, maybe it’s the vague anger within him?

 

He doesn’t know anyway.

 

Lately, Souji thinks of his actions, of what he’s been doing is consider... normal for his quirks. Souji hadn’t had these kinds of encounters before. But besides the point of what he did and didn’t do in the city, Souji hadn’t felt this alert, agitated, and angry at the same time, much to his dismay.

 

It’s scary. Yet the deja vus keeps on coming, as well the feelings he’s having, like now:

 

"Ah... so you came here because of your parents' job. Haha, I thought it was something way more serious." Chie said before the three of them stopped by the middle of the road. The two girls casted their curious looks, that Souji felt pressured by such attention. He tries to ease himself when Chie continues talking after looking their surroundings. "There really is nothing here, huh? That's what makes it nice, but there is nothing much we can show to people from outside."

 

Souji smiles nervously. "I-I think I've already seen enough. I don't ask for much anyway."

 

What a loaded statement. Souji has seen too much in Inaba than in the city. Despite the timeline of his stay is much shorter than half of a week, Souji has seen things that he wasn’t sure if everything is normal anymore.

 

"That's good!" Chie gives a quirky smile, then her face converts to a teasing expression. “Haha... I bet you don't ask for more since you already get to experience your first day at the Amagi Inn. After all, it is the pride of Inaba!"

 

Yukiko ponders at this for a moment, but she’s confused at Chie’s remark. "It’s... just an old inn."

 

"Come on, don't say that. It's been in all sorta magazines as a hidden treasure." Chie says frowns a little, but then it disappears when she asks Souji, “It's a great inn, huh?"

 

Souji went rigid. Like he wants to crawl in a pit because of that question. But he didn’t want to bring a misunderstanding to the Amagi that is standing there. The inn is not bad, at all. It’s just the things that happened... he answers, "Splendid..."

 

 _Yeah,_ splendid. Souji internally groans.

 

"Well, that inn is been going on for generations, and Yukiko here is going to take over someday." Chie said as she proudly pats her friend’s back, Yukiko doesn’t acknowledge nor respond. “Their inn actually attracts a lot of visitors to Inaba. It pretty much keeps this town going."

 

"I don't think that's entirely true." Yukiko said, and Chie gives her an uncertain stare before she turns to Souji with a mischievous face.

 

"So tell me, Seta-kun. You think Yukiko's cute, huh?"

 

Souji’s eyes widen. His mind is running a marathon. He hadn’t consider the girl’s looks, but honestly, he doesn’t care for anyone’s appearance. As long as the personality is what caught his eye. But he doesn’t know why Chie would ask such a question, Yukiko already looks uncomfortable. Mostly Souji.

 

Yet Souji answers, "I think so, yeah."

 

“I knew it!” Chie laughs mischievously, before she points at Yukiko’s red face. “And Yukiko’s shy! Hahaha, that’s cute.”

 

"Come on... Don't start this again..."

 

Chie chortles before she turns to Souji. "She's really popular at school, but she's never had a boyfriend. Kinda weird, huh?"

 

"C-come on, Stop it." Yukiko stuttered. "Y-you shouldn't believe that, okay? It's not true that I'm popular or that I've never had a boyfriend!" Yukiko’s eyes widen, while a sweat runs down at her face. "Wait, n-no! What I meant to say was, I-I don't need a boyfriend! Geez... Chie!"

 

Chie guffaws while holding her stomach. Souji unintentionally titters, joining with Chie. His heart proceeds to boast torture on his breathing.

 

"Hahaha! Look, he even laughed too! It's funny, right?"

 

Souji ceases his joy when he saw Yukiko’s stare. "I-I'm sorry—“

 

— _you're a selfish human being_ —

 

Souji went rigid, before his heart pangs with guilt, and his met waves of pain all over his body.

 

Souji just had an endearing, friendly moment that he hadn’t taken awareness of his heart being anguished. His body comes dense from a tight yank, like chains dragging him down. Souji gasps at this.

 

 _If you think, you can defy me just so that your wish can be granted_ , think _again_...

 

Souji stares, like actually gazing at the two girls: Chie Satonaka and Yukiko Amagi. Souji doesn’t understand everything what is happening to him, at all. But why... why did he ominously felt like he had... done something wrong to the two of them?

 

Is that why this moment of happiness or being with Chie and Yukiko for all this time; has made his heart hurt so bad because of... guilt?

 

Souji noted: there’s something wrong with him or he did something wrong...

 

A sin or a wish. His... wish to be granted?

 

Why does that dream makes vague hints to what’s happening in Souji’s position right now?

 

_This is what happens when your emotions gets the better of you..._

_It's all because you're a selfish human being, son of man._

 

The dream, the voice of the stranger from his dream is echoing in Souji’s mind. Then Souji starts to pant when his heart is forcing him to take short breaths, why— of all times— his heart is throbbing? It’s like the same pain in his—

 

Souji suddenly coughs.

 

"Pfft. You shouldn't apologise! You didn't do anything wrong." Chie says, lightly punching Souji at his arm. Souji silently winced before coughing again, covering his mouth, the girls didn’t reciprocate him.

 

“That aside—" Chie turns her head to different direction, then all her joy converts to a curious one. “Hey, what's that?”

 

Souji’s chest lightens a little, and the coughing calms down, yet his is suddenly sore so did his best to follow Chie and Yukiko. The three Yasogami students had themselves walking towards to the crowd.

 

Souji peers on to the distance, while he hears incoherent murmuring and muttering throughout the thronged crowd, most of them are housewives, there’s even a TV crew and...

 

Why is there a police here? Is that why there’s a barricade?

 

 _Why does this seemed familiar?_ Souji thinks, before he hears:

 

“So that high schooler left school early, and as she came down this street...”

 

“Wow. Who could image that hanging from an antenna?”

 

“I wanted to see it too.”

 

"Uh, you got here too late... The police and fire department took it down just a moment ago."

 

"Well, I think it's terrifying. I can't believe a dead body showed up around here...”

 

The three Yasogami students went alarmed.

 

Chie perturbs before she says, “Wait... what did she just say? A dead body!?"

 

Souji had a bad feeling about this, and literally, his heart had taken a tremendous torment, he suddenly dropped his bag.

 

"Seta-kun?!" Both girls cried when Souji collapses on his knees. The people from the crime scene stared towards the three students because of the commotion.

 

“Yasogami students?”

 

“What are they doing here?”

 

“Weren’t they told by the principal that they’re suppose to go home?”

 

“Did you see that guy? He must’ve heard what happened, it’s could be shocking for him.”

 

Souji’s vision becomes extremely hazy, then shuts his eyes when he’s unable to focus his sense of sight. He tries to breath slowly, calming his breathing pattern to normal. But it didn’t work, it made him wince from the strong clench of his heart, disagreeing Souji to take a breather. He has his hand— it’s cold, his hand is cold— clasped his chest.

 

Chie instantly crouches next to Souji, holding an arm around him before Souji had himself laying down at the asphalt. “H-hey! Are you alright?"

 

Souji almost went rigid when— yeah, another feeling of deja vu: someone is coming. Souji can feel it. There’s going to be two, familiar people, they’ll come by here—

 

"Souji?” His uncle came to the view, emerging from the crowd who are curiously looking at Souji. When did they suddenly surround them? Dojima noticed something’s amiss, and immediately runs to Souji. He starts inspecting Souji when he kneels down next to him. “Souji, what is with you? Are you hurt?"

 

Souji brushes off his uncle’s question, he swallows loudly. “D-dizzy.”

 

No, lightheaded. His sight is starting to be consume by darkness. Is he losing consciousness?

 

Souji started swaying back and forth that Dojima had to place a hand on his nephew’s back, to support him. “You’re breathing too quickly, calm down.”

 

"You almost _fainted_ as well!" exclaimed Chie, before she receives a look from Dojima. Dojima glances at Amagi then back to Satonaka. He’s must be wondering why Souji is with them, and why the three of them are here instead of returning home.

 

Souji’s throat felt constricted and watery, it wasn’t long until he started coughing then wheezing. His heart and lungs is swelling and uncooperative to Souji’s silent pleas, that he had himself lurched in agony. Oh god, his heart is going to give up beating any moment. Why is he hurting, but worse?

 

Souji opens his eyes, before he swallows the liquid, it’s not even saliva. By that, he starts coughing again, and the blood in his throat is encouraged to go straight back up at the tip of his uvula. “...I-I-m fine."

 

He can taste the blood now.

 

Souji doesn’t want to cause a scene, so he attempts to stand up again, until his heart and body declines. Losing control f his numbed body, he gasps before sending himself plummeted to the ground. Hands started to support around him.

 

“Y-You should stay down!” Chie suggested, before she secures her arms to Souji’s, pulling him up and settling him down. Dojima does the same.

 

Yukiko kneels in front of Souji, she’s holding his school bag. Yukiko checks at Souji’s source of pain while the grey-haired teenager is wincing. “Seta-kun, is it your heart? Do you have a—“

 

Souji coughs again, before wheezing.

 

“I don’t think he can answer you.” Dojima says to Amagi. “He’s having trouble breathing.”

 

“I’ll call emergency.” Yukiko declares before she fishes her bag, flipping open her cellphone. Souji couldn’t hear clearly what she was saying in the phone.

 

It’s getting worse by the minute. Does Souji have dyspnea? He’s suffocating or drowning, his heart palpitating. His systems is aching and discomforting. He feels hot and cold at the same time. He‘s lightheaded. He’s losing it.

 

What’s happening to him?

 

 _If you think, you can defy me just so that your wish can be granted_ , think _again_...

 

"Dojima-san, there you are!”

 

"Adachi.”

 

 _Adachi?_ Souji froze.

 

"Dojima-san, the others—“ Souji couldn’t make out what or who is around him anymore, but there’s a hazy figure approaching in front of him. In a few meters away, a person gasps. “What _happened_?!”

 

_THUMP. THUMP._

 

“ _Ah_!” Souji wails, his face was already flowing with tears.

 

"Seta-kun,” Yukiko comes back and to crouch before Souji, she lays a hand on Souji’s to where he’s holding his chest, then Yukiko flinches her hand away. “Y-Your hand is cold,” Yukiko presses a hand on Souji forehead to check his temperature, she gasps loudly. “You have a fever!”

 

Everything is happening so fast, that Souji can only reciprocate the pain in him. There’s blood pooling in his mouth before he miserably coughs again with his body jerking this time, tinges of liquid-red came sputtering from his mouth. The people around him gave panicked reactions, some gasps, some shrieked, even Chie and Yukiko.

 

“Shit.” Dojima swores before wiping the blood from Souji’s mouth. He examine Souji’s discomfort, eyeing Souji’s shaky hands that is pressing deep to his chest like Souji could just claw out his insides to stop the pain. “We need to take you to the hospital, I can’t wait the ambulance to come here anymore.”

 

" _Ah_..." Souji moaned, closing his eyes, his head started to hung low. He couldn’t take his consciousness to present anymore. But he instantly seizes Dojima’s arm to prevent him from leaving, his uncle turns his head to Souji’s direction. “I-I'm fine... M-My chest feels weird— _ah_ — it's aching. I-I'm fine."

 

"B-But you're coughing _blood_!“ Chie cries, her hands around Souji clenches in disbelief. “How are you _fine_?!”

 

Because Souji never had problems in his own body. Maybe he was just stressed or something... He couldn’t be sick! Not now, not when his parents will find out about this and...

 

"Is it heart disease?" Yukiko asks nervously.

 

Souji shakes his head furiously, all these questions is bothering his head. It’s making his headache and heartache worse. “I-I... duh-don't—“

 

“Stop talking, Souji.” Dojima commanded, before he moves away. “Adachi—“

 

Souji’s losing consciousness so he closes his eyes, somehow relieved that he’ll pass out to not feel the pain anymore. He felt his body being moved to another place, placing him down in a pavement, with a different person.

 

Souji doesn’t know where Chie and Yukiko went off or where his uncle is. But why is he separated from them? Who is with him this time?

 

“Souji,” A soothing murmur, Souji doesn’t know who it is but he felt oddly calmed by the sound of it. Souji felt relieved that his heart eases a little, his aching muscles relaxing. “I’m here, I got you.”

 

There’s a hand on Souji’s back, rubbing gently in small circles. Souji unintentionally leans to the touch.

It takes minutes that Souji is not wheezing or wincing anymore. But he’s still coughing with blood bursting from his mouth. His eyes shuts tight when he felt like drowning. Souji pants again.

 

“You’re coughing blood,” the person says, a man, Souji saw a glimpse of red. Is it his blood or was it a red cloth? A necktie? There’s a cloth wiping the blood from Souji’s mouth, even his chin. “I wonder what happened to you that made you be like this, Souji.”

 

The hand rubbing on his back still continues, more gentle every second. Souji sways a little until he rested his head on the person’s shoulder before the adolescent lets out a series of long breaths. Souji’s not having trouble in dyspnea anymore.

 

“You girls should head on home—“

 

“—Wh-what’s gonna happen to Seta-kun?”

 

Souji hears Chie and Yukiko’s voices slowly fades away, as well as everything else entirely.

 

“Souji?”

 

“Tohru.” Souji subconsciously murmurs, and he reaches out to the person next to him. He’s holding a sleeved-arm. The person, the man— Adachi, flinches, immediately holding Souji’s drowsy form.

 

“D-Dojima-san, he’s losing consciousness!”

 

And Souji did.


	5. Another Memory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Souji’s at the hospital, receiving unexpected news and strangers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> XX/XX/20XX
> 
> 04/13/2011

It’s been _years_ since  Adachi tasted freedom.

Life under the authority was a hassle, but Adachi tolerated as long as he can remember. Although, he didn’t expected he’d be out sooner than the original sentence he’s been mentally preparing his ass for. He knew why. In his final trial, the court concluded his analysis and methods that Adachi is indeed a “lunatic”. 

Apparently, the authorities has come to the stage of acceptance that, yep, Adachi is a “nutcase”. His confession of putting people into the magical TV world and the hanging bodies to high places is _unacceptable_ to  be consider it as evidence. 

Well, yeah, sure, if Adachi wasn’t in his shoes he would’ve called the suspect of the Inaba homicide case a “remorseless head case dipshit.” 

Then off to the mental hospital for a check up! And what happens there? Of course, another sets of permanent records and files that Adachi is proved to have a “mental disability”. 

By then the court decided to consider his irrational state of mind, so they minimized Tohru Adachi’s sentenced of imprisonment.

Here he is now, after... what year is it now? Well it’s not important anymore, it could’ve been almost or passed a decade.

And Adachi is unimpressed. 

Don’t forget to ask: what did he get in return for an early salty taste of freedom?

To be a circus freak, a trendy laughingstock, he’s staged in shows that is aired on TV even in during and after of imprisonment. People find him  _funny_ , so the interviews keeps on coming. The questions are always the same, his answers are the same, but society finds it  _entertaining_ whenever Adachi has his mouth open and say something “stupid” with a monotone, empty voice. Adachi became popular in social media as a joke, and almost the whole country knows him.

Ridiculous. He was even interviewed by Goro Akechi before that Detective Prince was found to be dead.

What an everfucking useful society. No wonder the world has gone straight to shit.

But... that aside of everything, out of every humiliation Adachi got, Adachi is planning on laying low, moving on to a cheaper, smaller apartment. Then again, the public and the pathetic social media is onto him wherever he goes. So whatever this apartment Adachi is going to stay at— hopefully for a while— it’s no different from being spied on from prison, from shows, from  _everywhere_ .

This complex he’s now living, is no different to places where ever he goes.

The building is not _too_ bad , but it’s an inconvenience, cheap and stable, yet uncomfortable. But, at least, the owner (an old lady, dear god) of this building has the _guts_ to  let him stay.

The elevator opens after the number hits the third floor, the first thing Adachi notices when he steps out is the surveillance camera hiding in the aerial plant right down the hallway. Adachi scoffs at the sight of it, the camera lenses peaking between the leaves, staring directly at him. Making Adachi adjust his scarf and hoodie to conceal himself even more. He doesn’t want any cameras shooting at his face right now. 

Nope. Screw that. 

Adachi just wants to sleep, alone, for once.

When Adachi walks down the hallway, he hears loud  _clicks_ behind the doors of every step he took. Obviously subtle, his now neighbors locks their doors to warn him that he’s _never_ welcomed  in this building. 

Good. He never wanted to deal anymore people that he had dealt previously before, during, and after his release from imprisonment.

Ugh.

_But_ , if he has neighbors like this for now on, they’ll be hypersensitive of his every single actions these days. And if he did something “weird” like putting people in the TV, he’ll most likely get sent back to the mental hospital and get interviewed like an infamous entertainer.

Fuck everything.

Adachi pauses at the end of the hall when he finally found the matched number of his key to the specific door. Adachi hums in relief when he approaches it before he glances something behind him, another apartment. Huh. He has a neighbor just across his room.

Eh, whatever.

Adachi goes back to his main attention, begrudgingly wanting to avoid the camera looking at him, he hastily inserts the key, and unlocks the door.

There’s a sound of _creak_ behind  him, then, “Adachi-san?”

Adachi froze.

And instantly turns... Shit.

_Shit_ . 

What the actual flying fuck— the fuck is going on here?

“Oh my  _god_ ...” Adachi loudly groaned, he frustratedly rubs both of his hands over his face. “Are you kidding me? What are _you_ doing _here_ ?”

“What do you mean ‘what am I doing here’?” Souji Seta tilts his head in confusion. Is that a fucking colored-pastel pink sweater with an embroidered cartoon cat over his right peck? “I _live_ here .”

“You...” Adachi points at the silverette with complete disbelief. “You _live_ here ?”

“Yes.” Souji replies, almost innocently.

“Ok. Ok...  _Funny_ ,” Adachi laughs, but it sounded wrong when he did. Because he sounded like he wanted to scream, cry, or fuck himself altogether. Souji uncomfortably shifts himself inside of his own apartment at this. Then Adachi ceases his “laugh” when he faces Souji with a suspecting stare. “Did you actually _follow_ me  here?”

Souji blinks. “...No. I lived here for a few years now, ask the owner, my grandmother.”

“ _Grandmother_ ?” Adachi repeated, he crosses his arms, hiding his clenched fists. No. He doesn’t want to cause a scene, not now. Never. “Tell me, did you persuade your grandmother to let me stay here? Because she’s awfully generous to me when I asked for a place to stay, only because this apartment,” Adachi swings his hand behind him, gesturing his room, “is, by far, the only place I can afford monthly, for a while.”

Souji stares longingly at Adachi, with an odd expression... like an empathy or pity? Whatever, Adachi doesn’t want to know. 

The grey-haired adult finally answers the ex-detective, “Don’t blame me, Adachi-san. I... honestly didn’t know you’d be  _here_ , all I know is that we’re getting a new neighbour—“

“I don’t believe you for a second, kid.” Adachi grits his teeth. “Just... pretend you didn’t see me, we didn’t talk, we didn’t breath the same air right about now— none of this happened.”

Souji fidgets with his ridiculous pastel-pink sweater, looking downcast. “How could I pretend now that we’re neighbours?”

Slowly, Adachi has the urge to kill himself.

“Kid, we’re  _nothing_ .” Adachi says, voice empty and tight. Adachi doesn’t want to deal this, not now. “Nothing between us is going on. And all that bond shit before? It’s nothing. We’re not doing this again. We both hate each other’s presence, remember? So... don’t start _any_ of that .”

“But—“

“Just,” Adachi almost shouts, “leave me be!”

Souji didn’t manage to answer or anything else when Adachi goes into his room, and shuts the door, then a  _click_.

Souji sighs. “Your lock doesn’t even work, Adachi-san.”

 

• • • 

 

Everything is white, especially the sudden brightness that stings Souji’s eyes when he wakes up. It made him nauseated, immediately looking away at the blinding light.

 

Souji groans after he blinks to return his proper vision before he hauls himself up. It wasn’t easy to accomplish that since his body is inexplicably numb and heavy. But, at the very least, he manages to sit up.

 

Coincidentally, at the very right moment, Souji hears a door opened, followed by a gasp.

 

“Souji!” His uncle rushes to his nephew’s side before he faces the gaping stranger, who is idly standing by the door. “Adachi, call the doctor, he’s awake!” 

 

Souji couldn’t progress anything clearly for a few minutes. His mind is dazed, unfocused. Everything around him is white and blurry. Until, Souji can see his own hands, the blankets, the hospital room, and a familiar figure next to him.

 

“D...Dojima-san.” Souji murmurs, he slowly looks up to his uncle. Oh, Dojima looked so awfully haggard, like he didn’t get much rest last night. Dojima’s sense of relief is poorly recognizable due to his exhausted, rumpled state. “How... how long was I out?”

 

Dojima took a while to answer. “F-For a while, I just came back to check on you, but at least you woke up sooner than I expected.”

 

Souji went downcast.

 

“You look... so out of it, kid.” Dojima admits.

 

Souji shuddered at the fact, closing his eyes tightly. “...Wha-What happened?”

 

“You fainted from... a heart attack, of a sort.”

 

“Of a sort?”

 

“It’s nothing like the actual heart attack, as the doctor said so.” Dojima says, “Although that kind of information doesn’t ease me to know if whether or not you’re fine. So I asked Satonaka and Amagi how you were before you passed out, but all they said is that you were fine, until you kids came to the crime scene.”

 

Souji’s momentarily holds his breath.

 

“Is that true, that you’re fine, Souji?”

 

“Y-Yes.” Souji replies, as he slowly opens his eyes.

 

“Don’t lie to me, Souji. This is serious.”

 

“I am not lying!” Souji exclaimed, he twists his head towards his uncle. “T-there’s nothing wrong with me, ever. I n-never have physical illness or anything. Even my parents know of this.”

 

Despite the strangling plea lacing in Souji’s honest truth, Dojima doesn’t look convinced.

 

“We’ll see.”

 

Before Souji could say anything, the door opens again, revealing three people entering. 

 

Souji takes a quick glance at the newcomers, there’s a doctor, who might’ve been one who took care of Souji, he’s a man in fifties, his his hair is grey, his posture is lacking due to either age or fatigue, but his eyes has a sense of warmth and relieve. 

 

Behind the doctor is a nurse, a young woman with a pink blazer, a pretty one, she has short black hair, a mole just by her chin, lively brown eyes, who’s gaze oddly lingers at a Souji for a moment. Was that a hallucination, right?

 

“Good morning, Souji-kun, Dojima-san,” the doctor says, nodding at the uncle and nephew, who also greets the doctor in return. Then doctor walks next to Souji, holding a clipboard which seems to be Souji’s medical record. “How are you today, Souji-kun, mh?“

 

“I’m fine.” Souji replies, he just realized his voice is weary. 

 

“Good, good.” the doctor smiles, “Do you have any chest pains ever since you wake up?”

 

Did he? He’s not feeling anything right now, right? So that’s a good sign.

 

“No.” 

 

“Nurse Uehara.” The doctor says towards to the nurse. She steps forward, holding a manual aneroid sphygmomanometer or a blood pressure monitor. At the sight of this, Dojima steps back, slowly going farther away to lean against a wall, crossing his arms. Gods, Dojima needs rest right about now.

 

“Lend me your arm, Souji-kun.” The nurse politely asks, Souji prompted to raise his arm, resting it over to the alloy fence of the bed. Souji silently watches the nurse as she starts doing her work, tightly wrapping the cuff of the blood pressure monitor around Souji’s arm. 

 

“What about from before you have a heart attack, do you have any chest pains?”

 

Souji uneasily shifts himself when the nurse beside him starts pumping air to the cuff in his arm with the inflation bulb. The nurse is quietly focused on the manometer to give a correct air pressure proportion.

 

“Yes,” Souji hesitates, then added, “but it’s not painful or anything, it’s just in an uncomfortable state.”

 

“Uncomfortable?”

 

“Like... uncomfortably pressured, not physically but... mentally.”

 

“Ah.” the doctor nods. “An anxiety? Panic attack?”

 

No, he feels a miserable remorse.

 

Souji recalls it, what did he mentally feel for the most part? He felt so many emotions all around him. But one sticks out: guilt, shame, or anything related to that. 

 

That’s why he’s hurting. Like he done something wrong and that caused an afflicting burden. Not once the majority of the chest pains is about anxiety, despite he’s been feeling apprehensive lately.

 

“I wouldn’t say it was anxiety...”

 

“I see.” The doctor says, before he approaches Souji, standing next to the nurse. He pulls out his stethoscope, to press it against Souji’s pulse, listening attentively for a moment.

 

“Okay.” The doctors steps back, hanging his stethoscope around his neck. Same goes for the nurse, immediately removing the cuff of the blood pressure monitor from Souji’s arm. “Your blood pressure is normal, there’s no signs of hypotension like before.” 

 

Souji hears Dojima sighing in relief.

 

“It’s a good sign that you don’t have the long-lasting symptoms, Souji-kun. So it’s probably a temporary condition. But we don’t know the cause of it, since your body is healthy _and_ we  still need your statement to identify the specific condition. After all, what you had is not the common heart attack we all know too well.” the doctor starts reading Souji’s medical record. “Yesterday, you came to us with a fatal heart failure, due to the symptoms we’ve examined. You have hypotension, excess fluid in your lungs, clammy skin, blue-tinged lips, you were also coughing blood and frothy sputum. It’s probably a sign of acute pulmonary edema since it’s a sudden infliction like your classmates, who witnessed, had said.” The doctor continues to skim onto the record. “In addition to that, you had a fever.”

 

“His current temperature is 36.3 degrees Celsius.” Nurse uehara says, after she checked Souji’s body temperature with a thermometer for a minute.

 

The doctor smiles, relieved. “Good, Good.” 

 

But that aside of symptoms, Souji doesn’t feel remotely relieved. Considering what’s vaguely happening to him, he can’t just... have a heart attack so abruptly.

 

“A heart failure...” Souji repeated.

 

“Yes.” The doctor nods,“again, we don’t know the cause of this sudden event. Would you care to explain what happened? From what I gathered information so far, is your symptoms has the probability to be identified in several conditions, and your classmates’ _information_ that  you had a sudden heart attack by when you encountered the crime scene of Mayumi Yamano.”

 

Souji’s breath hitched. 

 

Mayumi Yamano... from what Souji knows: is that she  _died_ , her body hanging in antennas. He couldn’t even begin to create the image in his head. It’ll... traumatize him. Mostly, his “condition” might come back and worsen. For now, he’ll just won’t think about it. 

 

“Explain to us, Souji-kun. What happened? What’s the cause of your current condition?” The doctor asks, peering with undivided attention.

 

“I...” Souji glances at his uncle, who is also listening attentively with a fixated look. Well technically everyone in this room doesn’t know what the actual hell happened to Souji. So Souji will just have to explain of what he knows of himself so far. 

 

“I’m healthy,” the teenager begins. “I never have heart problems or any problems with my health,  _at all_ . But, everything changed... it started when I came to Inaba.”

 

“Oh.” The doctor turns to the uncle.“He is from the city, yes?”

 

Dojima nods. “He just came here at April 11.”

 

April 10. April goddamn 10 is when Souji permanently arrived.

 

The doctor turns back to the patient. “It started when you came in Inaba, you don’t have these kinds of conditions from the city at all?” 

 

“No, never.” Souji insisted. “I was never charged at the hospital, ever.”

 

The doctor pauses, quietly pondering, raising a hand to his chin.

 

“Okay, then.” The doctor finally says, “Your have chest pains ever since you came here.”

 

Souji nodded.

 

“What’s the cause of it? Does it happen frequently, or randomly, or simultaneously? Or there are certain times or places that made you feel this way?”

 

Souji thinks deeply before saying, “It happens at... certain events.”

 

“What kind of events?”

 

“I’m not sure at which specific events, since they all happen so suddenly. But it happens at particular events that I’m _familiar_ with .”

 

“Familiar with? Hmm... Like deja vu?”

 

Souji breath shallows. “Y-Yes.”

 

“So you have... chest pains because of deja vus, ever since you live here?”

 

The doctor glances at the nurse, who is quietly spectating. The nurse doesn’t say anything but there’s clear curiosity in her eyes. 

 

“Would you... elaborate?” The doctor says slowly.

 

“As I said, I’m healthy.” Souji repeats, “I never,  _ever_ , had problems such as any serious illness... But when I came here, I feel many things that I don’t even know that if what I’m seeing and feeling is consider... normal.”

 

The doctor nods, glancing at the patient’s medial record. “Hmm. What do you _feel_ during  those chest pains other than the symptoms?”

 

“I feel...” Souji looks down on his hands, slightly clenching them. “stressed, ashamed... guilty, or, uh, emotionally miserable... .”

 

“You feel emotionally miserable because of particular events such as deja vus that causes your heart to disrupt?”

 

Souji slowly nods.

 

“I see.” The doctor finally understands, “So you’re saying you have heart failures due to being emotionally attributed towards such events.”

 

“Yes...” 

 

“Does the scale of heart disruption depends on how emotionally strong your mentality acts at such... intense events?”

 

“...Yes.”

 

The doctor nods. “Ok. This may be a possibility but it’s strongly appealing that it’s a _psychological_ problem , yet it attains to involve a serious affliction in your physical body...” the doctor straightens himself, looking Souji with a serious look. “It seem you have a  _broken heart syndrome_ , Souji-kun.”

 

The only one who breaks the dramatic silence is Souji’s uncle, immediately stepping in with a bound of bewilderment on his face.

 

“Broken heart syndrome.” Dojima asks. “Wha... What is that?”

 

The doctor faces towards the senior detective’s direction. “A broken heart syndrome has it’s unclear causes. But it often triggers itself at such serious emotional events that triggers the victims’ stress hormones, giving symptoms such as chest pains and dyspnea, it can also mimic a heart attack.” The doctor indicates Souji by a nod. “Although at Souji’s condition, he just had a rare case of a broken heart syndrome, a fatal one. Which explains the major casualties, and his following complications from yesterday.”

 

The doctor pauses, glancing at Souji.

 

“And the fact that- _that_ kind  of fatal heart attack happened upon discovering Mayumi Yamano’s death.”

 

Souji’s breath hitched when his uncle is giving him a look. Especially the rest of the adults, all eyes are on Souji with questioning glares.

 

“You had a heart attack because you found out Mayumi Yamano is dead?” Dojima asks, crossing his arms, his face is more likely to be intense for prompting Souji to answer. 

 

But before one utters a word, a ringtone breaks off the silence, earning the uncle a disapproving grunt.

 

“Excuse me,” Dojima says, leaving while pulling out his phone from his pocket. Dojima shuts he door before he responds to his caller.

 

When the door closed, Souji let’s out a sigh of relief. That was close...

 

“Don’t worry, Souji-kun.” The doctor calmly says, patting the teenager’s shoulder. “Broken heart syndromes are only temporary. Most people who have this quickly recovers at the right time.”

 

Souji nods.

 

“As of today, you cardiac rate is normal as well. That’s a good sign.” 

 

The doctor nods towards the heart monitor that is standing besides Souji’s bed. Souji glances at it, the rates have been the same the more Souji looks at it. He also realized _this_ was  the sound he’s been hearing in the background ever since he goes back to his consciousness. 

 

“You have to maintain this heart rate in order to recover.” The doctor says tone serious. “We don’t know what’ll happen if this happens again. By then, you have to be careful to involve yourself at such events, the ones you said.”

 

“Thank you, doctor.” Souji says, giving a small smile. “For taking care of me.”

 

The doctor flashes a pleasant grin. “I suggest you rest one more day so that you’ll ease yourself. Take it slow to recover.”

 

With that both the doctor and the nurse left.

 

Which leaves Souji and that guy he didn’t acknowledge that he’d be here.

 

This is not good.

 

“Hi.” The stranger says with a goofy grin, giving a small awkward wave. He’s standing idly at the corner of the room ever since the medial professionals came to check up on Souji. Meaning he’s been listening and observing from the very beginning. 

 

By this, Souji doesn’t move like a mannequin, staring blankly from the bed.

 

The man nervously laughs before rubbing his neck. “Ahaha... you probably don’t remember me, but I’m Tohru Adachi, your uncle’s partner. The guy that had to keep you from falling at the ground before you pass out?”

 

Oh shit.

 

It’s _that_ guy  in Souji’s contacts. It’s  _him_ . How the hell did Souji managed to get his number without speaking to this man in the first place? 

 

_Or maybe it’s a fake number_ ,  Souji thinks.  _I mean how can this be possible..._

 

While Souji is pondering, the man: Adachi is waiting. Souji goes back to his senses before muttering, “S...S-Souji Seta.”

 

Adachi nods, smiling. “I know.”

 

He knows? Oh right, he’s Dojima’s partner, he would’ve automatically know.

 

Despite the weird fact that Souji haves Adachi’s phone number, Souji felt lighthearted, like ease. Like everything is fine.

 

Until the tranquillity vanished when Dojima busted his ass in with an utterly perturbed look, making the two jump in surprise at instantaneous entrance.

 

“D-Dojima-san, what is it?” Adachi prompts from the wall, standing straight while giving a questioning look.

 

Dojima only replies by sighing heavily, running a hand through his hair.

 

“What is it?”

 

“Mayumi Yamano,” Dojima begins, “she’s still alive.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What the hell, I tried folks _(┐「ε:)_ 
> 
> Give me all your dislikes and criticism because I’m a failure. (´°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥ω°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥｀)
> 
> Ok, basically for those who is familiar at the first scene, some of you might be saying “Hey, this is like Tsunawatari by ghxsttype113!” 
> 
> Boi, lemme explain before some assumptions raises higher than my future. 
> 
> I ALSO think of Adachi having his image completely destroyed than it already has before, BUT the authorities decided to “hey, why not just give this deranged motherf****er some slack and cut his years of imprisonment off like ten years of imprisonment?”
> 
> Yeaahh, I won’t spoil much. (・∀・)
> 
> Tsunawatari is one of the inspirations for me to do this, but there are some major inspirations that made me write this fic. 
> 
> As I was saying I’m not copying or anything. I admit Tsunawatari is f***ing legit gorgeous that made me squeal the entire night. But I’m not copying or plagiarizing or anything. Just to let you folks know d(￣ ￣).
> 
> “Unseasonable Hope” (seriously, I didn’t even know the word ‘unseasonable’ Until I made the title) is a whole different a** story that I attempted to make, hopefully I finish this before I meet reality because, yeah, life gives you lemons (if you know what I mean) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°).
> 
> And the hospital scene, BOI, I tried. (● ˃̶͈̀ロ˂̶͈́)੭ꠥ⁾⁾
> 
> At least they talked face to face right?  
> (((o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o)))♡ ٩( ᐛ )و
> 
>  
> 
> Anyways thank you folks for the kudos, I really appreciate it. Really, I DO. _(:3」z)_ 
> 
> I’ll update as soon as possible and hopefully Adayu is trendy around the corner persona 4 fandom. (⌒▽⌒) (￣▽￣)
> 
> Don’t get me wrong, there’s no problem with shipping in my daily basis. I ship everyone WITH everyone, whoever it is, I like the idea of it.
> 
> Except Incest and Pedophilia ships. Boi, I have my limits. (｀・ω・´)


	6. Questionable Issues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 04/13/2011

What  _is_ a broken heart syndrome?

 

It doesn’t make sense. It’s confusing. Not once of its actuality hits a comprehension to Souji, because he never heard of such a thing. He doesn’t know that kind of illness it is supposed to be either. It just came out of nowhere to curse him, mentally screwing him over whenever it comes and goes as it pleases.

 

And whatever it is, Souji will not let some heart syndrome send him off to bed for a whole day while doing  _nothing._

 

That’s why Souji decided to defiantly attend school today, only to shake off the things from his mind that weirded him out lately. His uncle wasn’t happy about it when Souji asked for permission.

 

“Why the hell are you going to school today when you literally just had a heart attack?” His uncle angrily questions before he leaves with his partner, Detective Adachi, for the investigation. The young cop agrees with Dojima though, Souji is outnumbered on this. “Didn’t the doctor said to rest for the day?”

 

It took a while for this conversation to let on and on until sunrise, Dojima made a point in the end though. 

 

Stubborn, Souji waited for Dojima and the other detective to leave, and quietly go to school without his uncle and the hospital staff knowing. Seriously, why Souji wouldn’t go to school right now? He’s not feeling sick compared to yesterday.

 

Souji strongly holds onto that belief, believing he can make onto his own on his second day. Until... something (eventually) happened.

 

It’s a regular morning, no weird suspicions, no any supernatural events-related whatsoever. Souji’s heading to Yasogami High without being conspicuous among the students who are also walking along towards the school.

 

By the intersection, Souji saw someone— a girl— walking in the distance. Her back is turned from him, but Souji easily recognizes the uniform.

 

Souji feels a familiar vibe from her.

 

Then, it was sudden. Souji accounted the girl’s misfortune when her blue bag hits the ground and explodes all her belongings across the road. The girl curses, kneels down, and fumbles as she collects all her things.

 

No one around her lends a hand, so with some sympathy, Souji approaches the girl.

 

Souji does it with silence, crouching next to the poor student, then collects what’s left to gather, it made the girl froze and stares at his sudden appearance.

 

When Souji faces the girl, he’s never seen anyone so beautiful in his life.

 

“You dropped this.” Souji finds himself saying, returning a pad of stationery paper that is designed with different and colorful cartoonish pictures only for an elementary student to use. Souji doesn’t questioned it though.

 

It was a moment for the girl to finally respond after the two of them hold gazes in the middle of the road. And Souji cannot ignore a peculiar thought passed in his mind:

 

She looks familiar.

 

What’s with Souji meeting people for the first time and felt like he had met them before?

 

“...Thanks.” She mutters without a hint of appreciation in her voice. Her pretty bright green eyes reluctantly refuses to meet Souji’s eye contact again. She takes the stationary pad, tucking it back to her blue bag.

 

Souji noted the girl is uninviting, like she doesn’t want to talk anymore, but he couldn’t help but not leave her like that.mHe offers a hand to her when he finally stands up from the ground.

 

“What are you doing?” She asks, giving Souji an odd look, unaware of what the grey-haired teenager is doing. Like she doesn’t know a polite gesture of helping a lady bring her back up to her feet.

 

There was an awkward pause when Souji doesn’t answer. But to his relief, the girl doesn’t complain and hesitantly takes his hand, taking this as an invitation for Souji to do his good deed. 

 

“Thanks...” The girl says, tucking a strand of her black hair behind her ear after she stands. The unfriendliness of hers doesn’t disperse and Souji decides to leave her alone. He steps away from her until she said:

 

“You’re the new student, right?”

 

Souji halts, turning again to face her with genuine shock on his face. Is he that recognizable to be a new student among the kids here? Or have the entire school heard what happened yesterday?

 

“I’m also a new student here.” She adds, awkwardly adding while shifting. “It’s... a relief to hear I’m not going alone to adapt this kind of environment.”

 

“Oh.” Souji blinks before forming a small, polite smile. “Well, then. Nice to meet you.”

 

Souji holds out his hand for a handshake while pinpointing a cue for the girl to say her name.

 

“Mariko.” She says, taking Souji’s hand, shaking it. “Mariko Kusumi.”

 

A nostalgia suppresses within him.

 

“Souji Seta.” Souji says, nonchalant, ignoring the fact there’s an uneasy feeling lingering in his chest. Is it happening again? Is he going to have another heart attack?

 

_CRASH!_

 

Souji and Mariko flinched, retreating their hands in shock. The both of them recollected their composure when they caught a sight of student wriggling aimlessly because half of his body got eaten by a trash can.

 

“You should help him.” She says, Souji can tell she’s oddly uncomfortable.

 

Souji grunts as to veil his discomfort, ignoring another feeling of deja vu lingering in him. He straighten’s himself and hurries over to help the poor student. 

 

Souji never saw Mariko again before and after he helped the student, who introduced himself as Yosuke Hanamura. He’s the guy who got hit in the nads yesterday.

 

“Are you okay?” Souji asks, glancing at Yosuke’s frame. The guy doesn’t appeared to be injured, but he reeks of garbage due to his current accident.

 

But Yosuke doesn’t seem to mind of it, he eases Souji’s worries with a genuine smile and a goofy thumbs up. “Oh, yeah. I’m fine, dude. Thanks for helping me back there by the way. I wouldn’t have been able to be in school just in time.”

 

Souji still ignores the deja vu he’s seeings, it’s like seeing a double Yosuke happening at the same time. Souji wonders when will this deja vus disappear and the pain throbbing on his chest—

 

No way... Is he having chest pains again? 

 

“So you’re the new guy who got fainted from Mayumi Yamano’s crime scene, right?” Yosuke asks with an odd interested, appointed look. Souji stiffens at this, did the school heard what happened yesterday? If they did, Souji left a terrible first impression he’ll never forget. “Man, I mean, hearing a dangling dead body over a roof is not right. I would’ve fainted too if I saw Yamano’s corpse like that.”

 

Yosuke lets out a nervous sound while Souji doesn’t say anything.

 

Before the conversation let’s on, Souji abruptly hits a familiar, sharp pang of pain, causing him to be dizzy and wobbly. He throws his hand to his head to keep himself together.

 

There’s a hand placed on his shoulder, supporting him, while shaking him back to reality. It’s just Yosuke. “Hey! You okay, man?”

 

_It’s happening again?_

 

No. There’s something... different with this infliction. This pain doesn’t dwell in his heart,but from his head... more likely, if Souji we’re to note it, it’s almost as if the pain shot through in his entire body, his entire well being, unlike yesterday. 

 

This pain is familiar.

 

“Fine.” Souji said, forced this time. He felt his throat is lumped from lying constantly. He brushes off Yosuke’s worries away. “I’m fine.”

                                    

* * *

 

“What do you mean she refuses to have any visitors?” Dojima asks, with a dire tone that clearly shows his impatience. It made everyone in the hallway shift uneasily.

 

It took all Dojima’s will to resist and not unleash his rage at Mayumi’s doctor with all eyes on him. No, he will suppress his anger, he needs to be professional. Not while Adachi is here. No. Dojima can handle this. He can— Shit.

 

He can’t keep his composure.

 

The doctor in front him doesn’t see it but, at least, the nurse with him had the decency to  understand the situation here. She wasn’t saying any though, only hiding behind the doctor, obviously not wanting to be in the conversation.

 

“Dojima-san, Miss Yamano...” The doctor sighs, like an umpteenth time but more exasperated than the last ones. “As I said, Miss Yamano is in a state of shock, and mostly unresponsive. Not to mention she’s—“

 

“Different.” Dojima cuts him off. Yes, Dojima has been hearing this word “different” from the doctor ever since. “Yes. You said _that_ so many times, doc.”

 

The doctor clenches his jaw, not by anger but the uncertainty. Because he‘s unsure how to explain the reason why Dojima is prevented to talk to Mayumi Yamano.

 

“She is in an unstable... _aggressive_ state .” The doctor says but he sounded like he’s unconfident and Dojima doesn’t like. It’ll meant that this argument completely useless. But no matter what he says, the doctor just won’t let him in the damn room. “We don’t want anymore casualties considering her new... behaviour.”

 

Despite the doctor’s expectations for Dojima’s understanding to appease, even a little, it doesn’t come.

 

“But we have to question what happened, doc.” Dojima says, while gritting his teeth.“Yesterday she‘s  _dead_ , and now she— what— granted a second chance to live?”

 

The doctor went silent.

 

“We _need_ to  know why: why her body was found dead _and_  displayed from a  roof , for crying out loud!” Dojima snapped, causing everyone to flinch. “We don’t know if this is a homicide case— but she died.  Died , doc. We don’t want to waste anymore time, we’ve got no strong point of evidence or clue to what happened yesterday. We need answers _now,_ before  the media founds out about this and all Hell’s break lose.”

 

This is the second time Dojima had to clarify his sole purpose of coming to the victim. Yet the doctor made no affirmation whatsoever and it pisses Dojima even more. What’s the point of hiding the victim? Right now, the priority here is to lest Yamano’s well being to be in danger again considering her unknown circumstances. 

 

“As a doctor, it’s best to let the patient to be in a comfortable and rational state for now. Let her take her time to recover without any rush from other individuals.” The doctor says as he adjusted his glasses. Dojima just noted the doctor who attended Mayumi Yamano is younger than him, probably in thirties. Dojima noted that this doctor is probably a naive professional. But he’s holding his ground as ever. “Even if you investigate her, right now. You’ll find no answers, she’s  unresponsive .”

 

Dojima clenches his jaw. Adachi, who is standing silently with him, sees it and summons a nervous look. But he doesn’t say anything.

 

“What if she’s not the only victim, huh?” Dojima says, stepping towards the young doctor; intimidating him. The doctor doesn’t react though. “What _if_ we  get answers by the time she recovers, and who knows how long will that take? What if this case is involved with more than just one victim? What if there will be another life taken away, and have their body hanged limp from—“

 

It was a sudden interruption that made Dojima stop in his tracks, and everyone faces to where the sound came from.

 

Dojima went rigid.

 

“Miss Yamano!” The doctor gasps.

 

He couldn’t believe it... When Dojima looks, like actually looks, at the announcer, he couldn’t believe if his eyes are tricking him. 

 

Mayumi Yamano. Her pale, lifeless body hanged in an unforgivable position at an antenna, flashed in Dojima’s mind. But to his memory of yesterday, Yamano looked no better than before. She looks  _worse_ ,  like a walking plague.

 

The announcer dully blinks slowly, her eyes are bloodshot, yet there’s no sign of emotion laying in there. Neither her once beautiful face is any better, it is stoned flat neutral, no expressions to point out. It’s... not good.

 

Her posture looks worse as well. There’s something off with how she stands in the doorway, like tensed and ready for any upcoming and unpredictable events to come at her any moment.

 

“...Y-You’re the police?” She began. Her voice sounded odd, compared to how she was on the television shows. It’s the opposite of how she used to be, cheerful and lively. 

 

Now, she’s sounded... dead.

 

“Yes.” Dojima nods. “We are—“

 

Instantly, there’s two hands grabbing desperately at Dojima’s collar, hands grasping then shaking him back and forth, almost sending the old detective to the floor. Dojima finally registered what is happening when he saw Yamano’s terrified face close to him.

 

“S-save me, please!” Yamano shrieks, petrified. Her voice echoes through the hallways. “T-the-they’re everywhere!  Everywhere ! Tho-those m-monsters who hurt me! They’re so m-many of them! And, and I w-was fa-falling and falling! Muh-my body hurts, so b-bad, I d-died!”

 

Before Yamano could ever cease her yelling at the top of her lungs, there’s people popping right around the corner, curious looking before it changes to shock acknowledgement.

 

“Miss Yamano!” The doctor and the nurse finally intervenes, pulling Yamano away from Dojima, who stumbles away from the screaming announcer. “Calm down!”

 

Yamano frantically resists the medicals’ grasps, until she gives up and slumps down to the floor. The doctor lets go of her, as the nurse kneels next to Yamano, rubbing the announcer’s back in comfort. 

 

Is that what the doctor meant of her state of shock? Gods, she looked so messed up and traumatized.

 

Dojima never knew Yamano but an infamous announcer, he rarely cared her. But she’s still a citizen that became a victim, provoked by convicts, the kind of people for Dojima to prevent in order to maintain public order.

 

He is sickened to whoever did this to her. He’s on the brink of punching something. 

 

“T-There’s so many of them... th-theyre  everywhere !” Yamano continues. Her voice is still piercing, it irks the people around her like hearing nails scratching a blackboard. Yamano clasps her hands together, begging with a desperate gesture as she looks at the police. “P-Please, help me! I d-dont wanna die!”

 

Before Dojima could have the will to respond the announcer, he glances at the worried doctor, who couldn’t do anything but to wait for the announcer to calm down. Then Dojima glances to his partner, who’s face is pure white from complete shock. Surely, the rookie is surprised at Yamano, who they found dead yesterday, is now in front of them sobbing uncontrollably on the hospital floor.

 

Dojima tooks a deep breath before kneeling in front of the poor announcer.

 

“We _will_ help you.” Dojima reassures, his voice even. Dojima hoped Yamano she’ll acknowledge him this time. “But, first, you have to calm down. We can’t help you if you’re like this.”

 

As if it is easier said then done, Yamano looks down to her lap as she lowers her hands, Dojima sees her lips are quivering.

 

“I-I don’t wanna die...” Yamano says, there’s tears dropping to her lap. Then she looks up to Dojima. “I don’t wanna die. I-I d-did n-n-nothing wrong, I swuh-swear!”

 

“You’re not gonna die.” Dojima insists. “Just tell us who did this to you, Miss Yamano. And we will—“

 

Abruptly, a hand— thin fingers seizes around Dojima’s throat. 

 

“Miss Yamano!”

 

With incredible strength that dominated over him, Dojima is pinned down to the floor much to his shock. When he’s partially immobile, another hand aimed for his throat, immediately clenching its fingers deeply to his jugular. It took seconds for Dojima to finally response with defense despite everything is happening so fast he couldn’t comprehend what’s happening. His hands shot out to grasp tightly to the hands that are now trying to _kill_ him .

 

He doesn’t know how long he was fighting back, but he realized his attempt to push away the offender is futile due to its inhuman strength.

 

With this, Dojima is immediately losing consciousness at his failure, his arms has gone limp to his sides. 

 

The only thing he can do is to muster his consciousness back, but he’s overwhelmed. H egasps when his breathing is losing, his focus is wobbly and difficult to acknowledge what is happening around him.

 

In a flash, he sees what he can make out of: on top of him, the one who is strangling him is  Yamano . Her face is confronted with an absolute sheer of anger.

 

Why is _she_ strangling _him_?

 

Dojima chokes as his airway is squeezed, his eyes rolls back.

 

Around her, are people trying to drag her away, it is Adachi, the nurse and the doctor altogether. But much to their dismay of stopping a woman, she’s surprisingly strong to be moved an inch. 

 

The darkness begins to invade Dojima’s vision. The only thing he can feel is his pulse beating against a Yamano’s fingers, while his Adam’s apple is being crushed under her thumbs.

 

Then, Dojima sees a flash of red, beaming with a furious radiance.

 

“This reality is born from a World’s decision.” A dark voice said, pausing. “And I will not let it slide for everyone’s sake.”

 

Was that Yamano talking? Dojima sees her mouth is moving but her voice— her voice doesn’t sound like her. There’s something wrong with her—

 

_Bam!_

 

The fingers around his throat has gone slack . 

 

When Dojima returns to his freedom, he coughs, before retrieves his breathing, rubbing his throat after crawling away from Yamano, who’s eyes are now closed.

 

She falls backwards, the nurse manages to catch her. That’s when Dojima noticed different when he glanced at Adachi. His partner has done something to the announcer.

 

_Shit, did Adachi made her unconscious?_

 

There’s a stilled, intense  silence wavering in the air, and the first one who breaks it is Dojima.

 

He asks, his voice is dense. “ What... What happened?”

 

Clearly, he’s asking what the actual fuck happened with Yamano just now.

 

But nobody answers. He only receives the response of the doctor turning away from him to his nurse.

 

“Take her back to the room.” He commanded.

 

The nurse nods, weakly carrying the unconscious Yamano back to the room. Before the doctor follows inside to tend the announcer.

 

The door shuts in front of the police, leaving them no choice but to the deal the people, who are slowly emerging to the hallway with questionable faces. Dojima left Adachi to do all the work for preventing any witnesses to come and confirm that Mayumi Yamano is indeed alive.

 

It’s a good sign the media aren’t here yet which make Dojima relieved of this.

 

Minutes passed the doctor doesn’t come out yet, Dojima sits down to the chairs next to the door as he contemplates the information he can muster from his current encounter with the announcer. Adachi comes back after he accomplish his task, its now just the two of them in the hallway.

 

“...Dojima-san,” Adachi calls him, standing closely to his supervisor with a worried look. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

 

“I’m fine.” Dojima replies, but he wasn’t fine and he doesn’t say it. His jugular still throbs in pain, he visibly rubs it. He’s still surprised of what the announcer just did to him.

 

At least Adachi takes note of it as he reluctantly sits down next to Dojima. His partner doesn’t say anything as Dojima begin discussing about the investigation.

 

“How are we supposed to catch the culprit if she couldn’t tell us what happened?” Dojima quietly says from having anyone else to hear him. He sighs, ruffling his own hair with frustration. “Not only that, she mentioned there‘s _someone_ , specifically in numbers as well. Could it be a group of people did this to her?”

 

When Dojima expected a goofy reply or a stupid judgement from Adachi, it doesn’t come. Instead Dojima glances at him only to have the view of the rookie is zoning out, while having a thoughtful look on his face.

 

“Hey, are you listening?”

 

Adachi flinches, eye’s snapping back to Dojima. “Y-Yes, sir. I am.”

 

Dojima sighs. Damn rookie.

 

“Anyways have to keep an eye on Yamano for now on, since we might be dealing with numerous culprits here. As she said, they’re—“

 

“Dojima-san!” 

 

Dojima and Adachi turn their heads, and stand up when a familiar nurse comes running down the hallway to them.

 

The nurse panted as she reaches the police, and Dojima recognised her. She’s Souji’s nurse.

 

Wait a minute...

 

“What is it?”

 

“Your nephew!” Nurse Uehara says, as she gasps for air. Damn, she literally run from the other side of the wing to here. “He’s not in his room. He’s gone missing!”

 

Missing?

 

Dojima blinks in confusion, until it hits him.

 

Of course. 

 

Of course, Souji had to be a _rebel_. 

 

“Goddammit.” Dojima facepalms in disappointment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for late updates! School is coming and I’ve been busy lately. (*ﾟ▽ﾟ)ﾉ
> 
> I swear, I’ll update as soon as I can. ヽ(；▽；)


	7. Follow your heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Souji Seta has faced his other self.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 04/14/2011

It’s the first time Souji felt flourished. No matter how absurd and doubtful in the first place, it happened.

 

It was breathtaking.

 

Breathtaking and nostalgic, an evocative surges from an unexpected awakening is anticipating through him, what the constant deja vus earlier warned him about.

 

A power— No. 

 

It’s not just _a_ power .

 

_Izanagi_ . Souji thinks, repeating the name all over again in his mind, like longing.  _His name is Izanagi_.

 

Izanagi is an evocative, his... other significant reminiscing aspect he found himself longing.

 

His  _Persona_ , the other mask of Souji (wait, how did he know that?), is kind of like a familiar link that’s stronger and is bonded within him since.

 

When Izanagi communicated him, it triggered a remembrance and raises questions in his mind. When _did_ he  hear this? Why is it so familiar?

 

Should he respond to this... nostalgic feeling?

 

_I am thou._

 

_Thou art I._

 

_Open thy eyes and call forth what is within!_

 

In an instant without prevail, Souji sees it, every memory he created ever since he arrived at Inaba, unanticipated flashbacks bouncing back to him:

 

The Amagi Inn incident, Mayumi falling into the TV. The offender he saw, the one who look like... who‘s he?

 

The Velvet Room, Igor, and Margaret. The blue limousine, the tome Margaret was holding, there was voices and memories calling out to him between the pages of the book. The... powers he once have, seeks him. A hope within a void awaits to return back to its master.

 

The phone number. Digits in his phone. He clutches it with a heavy heartache he doesn’t understood why it pains him to see it. 

 

The beautiful, mysterious girl he met. Mariko Kusumi. She’s so familiar, he couldn’t pinpoint another name on the tip of his tongue. Why did _she_ came  into his mind?

 

The memories slowly dims down, and gives Souji a moment to _reflect_ of  what he happened to remember.

 

Just... what is the meaning of every memory he recalled when he stepped foot into Inaba? What are these deja vus telling him whenever they come into this moment?

 

Was he supposed to remember something— he feels like he should be— why would he be _here_ in  the first place?

 

There’s something... going on here. 

 

A feeling of a struggle, frustration claws him out. His Persona wriggles in impatience, telling him to snap out of it and just do it.

 

Wake up. Fight! Seek for the truth!

 

_The truth._

 

He has to know the  _truth_ . 

 

The truth he must find with  _hope_.

 

_Hope_.

 

The words triggered him, causing Souji’s wistfulness to disperse, and he doesn’t shed a single hesitation to comply his  _potential_ . Despite a deja vu pulsing in his vision, it causes him to be reluctant, but it’s doesn’t matter.

 

Those frequent tedious feelings of familiarity, it’s telling him something. Something he should knew, something he should’ve consider ever since it all began. 

 

_How did he end up like this?_

 

His heart answered for him, a pained one. Had he lived a sorrowful life? 

 

Was it his old life in the city? Or some where else...?

 

Souji has so many questions, and the only method he can think of is to obtain those answers after he trusts himself first, follow what his heart tells him to do.

 

To this moment, Souji shall follow what’s his... _himself_ tells  him, it’s been pointing out involuntary reactions he’s having towards to the events he’s in, and the people he’s with.

 

Now, his heart tells him to never let go of the power that bestowed upon him, what’s given to him. That this is the only chance to set everything right.

 

_Everything_ .

 

He reached out his hand to the floating, glowing card before him, and _crushes_ it  with an intense grasp, a desperate seize.

 

“Persona!”

 

_It’s been too long. So long_.  Souji finds himself thinking.

 

A familiar, giant figure materializes, it brings forth an intense atmosphere, clearing out an image of a warrior with lethalpurposes. It’s masked face gives out a distinct detail, its eye’s flaring gold of intent without emotion. It’s long, black coat fluttering around it’s long legs with sharp heels. Not to mention it’s clawed fingers are holding a huge, dangerous glaive weapon which is intimidating enough to give out an answer that Souji summoned a detrimental being.

 

Seeing Izanagi for a long time, crashes Souji another strong overfamiliar deja vu. Lately, he’ll undergo a heartache from seeing or feeling one, but this time it occurred to him a relieving, hopeful emotion.

 

The so-called syndrome doesn’t inflict him. With that it feels like he’s unbounded from chains that forcibly hauls him down to the zone of his limits. He can almost hear a breaking point coming to get him.

 

But the strength within his soul resists the boundary that kept him this far.

 

Diminishing those limits, Souji stands straight and yells out to the Persona towering above him, giving a definite alarm to all the Shadows who’s impatient to kill.

 

“Izanagi!”

 

The gold-eyed Persona immediately obeys, summoning Zio. Maximum amount of lightning arcs instantly shooting down from the vortex sky, striking every monster that ambushed them in a blink of an eye. Souji can almost feel the voltage that dances around him, it’s... exhilarating. 

 

It’s  _real_ .

 

It wasn’t even a minute that every one of the monsters dissipates into smoke then nothing so easily. It seems they’re _weak_ to  it. But Souji aware of that, when the fact hits him.

 

“ _What the heck_ ?!” Yosuke cries behind him, shaking in fear and uncertainty by the lightning striking across the field. Chie, who is unconscious in Hanamura’s arms isn’t fully aware of what’s happening. And Teddie, a... bear they just met, was also watching in fear, but there’s mixed of amazement lingering in his eyes.

 

Then the bear, mascot, whatever, shrieks as he points his blue-gloved paw towards the sky. “There’s more of them!” 

 

Souji raises his gaze upwards, and sees countless of monsters heading this way. Monsters in one of a kind, who’s eyeless and round, has two-color strips, and disgustingly largest mouths and tongue. They are all alike and similar, perverted to kill but  weak . Numbers like that doesn’t bother Souji, with striking confidence, the grey-haired teenager smirks.

 

“ _Izanagi_ !” Souji commands, and Izanagi responds to him again.

 

Like a god of thunder, Izanagi raises his clawed hands, calling the sky for another series of lightning arcs launching down, to diminish every monster who dares to harm them. Lessten seconds they’re all effortlessly defeated, Souji notes those kind of monsters is weak to Zio.

 

How does he know all this?

 

Some random knowledge and power he grasps onto, from leading himself to this moment ever since he went out with Chie and Yosuke at Junes yesterday.

 

“Have you ever heard of the Midnight Channel?” Chie once asked, she has this mischievous look on her face once Yosuke and Souji has their undivided attention towards the brunette. “At midnight, on rainy nights... you’re supposed to watch a turned-off TV alone. And as you stare at the image of your own face onscreen, somebody else starts to appear.” 

 

When Chie dramatically pauses in order to spook the two males, there was a spineless shiver running down on Souji.

 

He heard this... Midnight Channel before, but where and... when?

 

“And supposedly, _that_ person  is your soulmate.” 

 

Souji was about to question Chie where she obtained this rumor before but the other student, Yosuke, beats him to it, conveying his disbelief and mocking Chie, making Souji speculate in silence instead. Souji hadn’t had the chance to know then, and couldn’t relief the familiarity that was clinging to Souji’s awareness.

 

By then, times passes. Souji was curios and complied to his deja vu pulsing him. He followed Chie’s instructions, and waited the Midnight Channel to come.

 

Only then, the TV bursts to life, the screen shows an unclear image but Souji sees a familiar female student that was writhing in pain. Souji’s eyes widen in shock when he recognizes the face.

 

His head hurts then, making him dizzy while a ringing, deafening sound travels down to his eardrums. The pain is so overwhelming and familiar, he couldn’t comprehend immediately, losing balance and a voice calling out to him. It was the same voice he heard.

 

_I am thou._

_Thou art I._

_Open thy eyes and call forth what is within!_

 

The voice, the pain, the Midnight Channel— altogether, everything is so familiar!

 

Souji gasps when he accidentally slide his hand into the TV.

 

Into. The. TV.

 

_Like how Mayumi Yamano went through from the Amagi Inn._

 

Frightened when he recalled the Inn memory, he struggles to retrieve his hand from the TV. When he succeeded to remove his limb from the television, the Midnight Channel and the face of Saki Konishi went black.

 

After that vaguely familiar moment with the TV, Souji went wary but curious. 

 

It went like that to the next day. Souji being driven with unsure, vivid deja vus again, but it turns into nostalgic memories. An adjustment, his mind and body moves on to the point in instinct then.

 

What happened with the TV last night would’ve considered Souji to not tell his classmates because they’ll think of him crazy, lowering his sanity. But without thinking, he told what happened because he _feels_ like  he should.

 

He told them and they didn’t believe him. 

 

He expected that outcome.

 

They didn’t believe him, so they test him out at the Junes electronics store.

 

Then he had the need to put his hand  _into the TV._

 

He did, and it became true. 

 

So far of Souji to see unrealistic events occurring to him of placing his hand into the TV made him unfazed, at all. Like this is normal, because he has been through this situation before. 

 

As oddly expected, Chie and Yosuke, sees it and freaks out. Whatever happened when all Hell’s break loose, the three of them stumbled into the TV and fall inside. The fog is what all they see then, creeping their forms.

 

Souji knows the feeling all too well. 

 

Then it hit him.

 

He knows that he’s _aware_ towards  every occurring moment, he concluded there’s a meaning to every deja vus so... he trusted it, embracing the emotions he should feel, the decisions he should chose, the actions he must do, the knowledge he should be aware of.

 

No wonder he became unfazed all of the sudden, because he knows how it has been. Like he has gotten used to it.

 

He knows this place. He knows this _will_ happened . He knows  _Chie and Yosuke_ . But there’s one fact that bothered him, he doesn’t know how and why he become aware of the future and has his own predictions.

 

He holds onto that, and let his deja vus flow through his mind. And let everything runs it’s course of action. Whatever happens, it happens.

 

He lets go, following where his soul leads him.

 

Everything was happening so fast in the TV world. But Souji held his ground, his defiance of  this _world_ pushing  him to death leads him to this moment to come:

 

His awakening, becoming a catalyst he vaguely finds himself longing for.

 

Souji lets out a joyful sigh, he‘s spiritually tired but ecstatic as well. Izanagi, who stares at him one last time after he finished off every single monster— no...  _Shadows_ ,  the Persona transforms to a tarot card again, and merges into Souji’s chest. The contact gave Souji a glow.

 

_Souji Seta has faced his other self..._

 

Souji went reassured at this. An odd emotion to reply with this situation.

 

“Chie, are you okay?” Yosuke says after a silence passes by. Oh no, he almost forgot he’s not alone. He heard someone groaned, and he turned to see Chie waking up from Yosuke’s arms. Yosuke sighs in relief. “Ah, thank Gods, you’re alright!”

 

Chie grimaces at the boy’s loud voice, her eyes flutters open. “Wh... what happened?” She incoherently mumbles. Before anyone answered, she gasped, pushing Yosuke away, who lets out a surprised noise and stumbles back to the ground. The female brunette stands up, panicked.“Oh crap! Did we  _die_ ?!”

 

“Eh?!” Yosuke went bewildered, shaking his head. “No, no. We’re still alive!” He retorts, before standing up properly and turns to the Persona-user who is silently watching. “Seta here saved our asses.”

 

Chie eyes snapped to Souji’s, giving an astonished look.

 

“ _For real_ _?_ ”

 

Oddly, he felt like he _should_ explain , but all he did is reply with a nod, making Chie flabbergasted and Yosuke agreeing with him.

 

“Yeah, he did. And it was so amazing too!” Yosuke exclaims while a smile quirks to his mouth, before shooting Souji a curios look. “What did you call it again? Persona, right?”

 

Again, Souji nods.

 

“That’s so cool! How did you do that?”

 

“I... I don’t know exactly.” Souji blinks, dumbfounded at the question to how he does it. Souji looks down to his hand to where he crushed the blue card, the tingling sensation of his touch to grasp the power is vaguely comforting. “But... it felt nostalgic.”

 

There was a silence tailing that statement, and Chie breaks it for the sake of alarming her panicked mode.

 

“Alright!” She shoos the tense, quiet atmosphere away, because of her agitation. “While you two are reminiscing, we have to get out of here!” Chie yells, suddenly turning when she remembered they had another company. “You!”

 

Souji and Yosuke almost forgot the mascot. The bear, Teddie, flinches from a few meters away.

 

“...Y-Yes?” 

 

“Yes,  _you_ !” Chie says, almost mad. She lays her hands to her hips like a scolding mother. “Didn’t you say you  live here? Do you know which way’s the exit?”

 

* * *

 

 

“What are you accusing us for!? We didn’t _throw_ people  in here like ever!”

 

“Yeah, we didn’t even know what’s this place exactly. What gives you the right to yell us like that?”

 

Teddie who got yelled by the two confused, loud students, he hurriedly cowers behind Souji, who is quiet this whole time.

 

“It’s just that...” Teddie begins, his voice quavering. “there‘s people being thrown here for a while and...” The bear pauses, scared of adding his statement. “the Shadows are not happy about it. With... y-you three here altogether, you might attract more Shadows.”

 

The two browned-haired teenagers gaped at him.

 

Chie briefly casts Souji a thankful look. If it weren’t for Souji, the three of them will be dead meat.

 

Souji turns his head to Teddie’s trembling form. “You mean those monsters that attacked us?”

 

Teddie trembling ceased, before mirroring Souji’s stare and suddenly stands straight.

 

“Uh-Huh.” Teddie nods, calming down, contented when someone other than him understands the grave situation. “But even if you have power, Sensei. They’ll just keep on coming. You have to leave this place before you’re to be cornered again.”

 

“Sensei?” Chie and Yosuke asked in unison, baffled at this.

 

Souji is also baffled at this, because the honorific he receivedis ridiculously familiar.

 

“Sensei?” Chie squints her eyes between the silverette and the mascot. “Is there something going on between the two of you?”

 

As if the question is ridiculous enough, Teddie growls. “That’s not important! Geez, I _know_ where  the exit is, here!”

 

Teddie stomps his little bear foot, and a stack of three televisions appeared at the center of the platform of where the three humans fall on. The sudden casting of the bear’s tricks, causes the three to flinch in surprise. Before the humans gathered together to observe of what Teddie summoned.

 

“Wo-woah..” Yosuke gapes at the TVs.

 

“TVs?” Chie muses.

 

“Okay, get out of here! As you can see I’m a beary busy bear!”

 

For a bear, Teddie is quite strong to push three adolescents altogether.

 

“Hey!” Yosuke yells, attempting to swat the bear’s hands away. “What are you doing pushing us around like that!?”

 

Unbothered of the teenager’s complaints, Teddie obliges to push the three of them towards the TV. “Just keep moving!”

 

_Aren’t you forgetting something?_

 

Souji froze, when a thought passes him. He quickly wretches away from the group

 

“Wait!” He abruptly cries out, his raw desperation made the bear stop in his tracks, like he hadn’t expected the sadness rippling from Souji’s voice. Yet the bear’s irritated.

 

“Argh!” Teddie lets out an exasperating cry, he stands away, looking at Souji. “What is it now?!”

 

Souji couldn’t answer when he‘s distracted from the thoughts whirring in his head.

 

_How could you forget the purpose of you to be in this moment?_

_Wasn’t your selfishness enough to rewind your way back to how this all started?_

 

_How could you forget after everything that happened?_

_**How could you?** _

The questions repeated itself, before Souji’s chest clenched by torment.

 

“Ngh!” Souji collapses, finding himself to clutch to his uniform, wanting to claw out his heart so badly. To stop the pain, the sorrow—

 

It’s happening again.

 

“Seta-kun!” Chie rushes and kneels next to Souji. “Your heart is hurting again?” The brunette asks, Souji doesn’t answers while he’s busy from seeking air, panting. Chie turns to Yosuke. “He’s having a heat attack, Yosuke! We need to—“

 

“Someone.” Souji cuts Chie off.

 

The brunette whirls back to Souji. “Huh?” 

 

When the suffering ceases, Souji can move freely again. He calmly shrugs Chie’s hand off from his shoulder and slowly stands up. 

 

“There’s someone else here,” Souji says, his tone is oddly even, composed. “who needs our help.”

 

“Dude, _what_ are  you talking about?” Yosuke asks, tilting his head in confusion.

 

Yeah, what _is_ Souji  talking about? Moreover why he had the thought of thinking there could be  _someone else_ in  this... _this_ place ? How could he know? This is the first time he have ever been into the Midnight Channel.

 

Wait. How did it ever occur to him the name of this place would’ve been  _that_ ?

 

“Chie,” Souji begins. “remember when you asked us to try the Midnight Channel? And we all happened to have the same soulmate altogether?”

 

Chie blinks, glancing at the bewildered Yosuke and the observing Teddie. “Uh, yeah? Why?”

 

Souji pursed his lips.

 

“I don’t think... the Midnight Channel was suppose to tell us we have soulmates.” He says without thinking, before facing the Junes prince. “And... I think the person we thought who is our soulmate is your Senpai, Yosuke.”

 

Yosuke’s eyes widen.

 

“Wait, what?” Chie cuts in, perplexed at the revelation. “The channel ‘s too unreadable to tell who was our soulmate is but—“ Chie pauses before her eyes mirrored Yosuke’s expression, questionable, goggled eyes stares at Souji. “Uh... Konishi-Senpai? How is _that_ possible ? Did she agree to it? Was she recorded or something? Didn’t she look...” Chie glances at Yosuke, her voice lowers. “hurt when the channel was aired? Maybe there was a Midnight Channel crew—“

 

“The channel’s not intentionally aired by any TV crew.” Souji immediately said, relying his knowledge to what he happens to know. ”The Midnight Channel shows us a live scene of what’s happening  here , by the channel  _itself’s_   accordance.”

 

“What?” Chie cocks her head, bemused. “What do you mean by that?”

 

Before Souji answers, a couple of footsteps cuts him off.

 

“How would you know that, Seta?” Yosuke suddenly asks, he crosses his arms but Souji sees his hands are shaking, like on the edge of punching something. “It seems like you know what’s the gist here. After all you seemed calmed about it ever since we all came here.”

 

Chie gawks. “Yosuke!”

 

Yosuke snaps his head towards to the girl. “I‘m not accusing him, Chie. But... there something fishy going on here.” Yosuke turns back to Souji and steps forward, closing the distance. “I would’ve said something earlier, because there’s something _off_ about  how you’re... reacting to this place. Especially, with that... Persona thing.”

 

“Wait, what?” Chie squeaks, furrowing her brows as she’s utterly perplexed at the conversation. When the two guys are just staring at each other, Chie sighs loudly and turns to the bear is completely forgotten is here with them. “What happened when I was out?”

 

Puzzled as well, Teddie only shrugs. “I don’t know. But if you’re stalling, the Shadows will know you three here if you don’t leave!”

 

“I don’t know about you, I don’t know  who you are.” Yosuke ignores the bear, while a grim face emerges on his face. The expression intimidates Souji, as if he’s in the place to be interrogated, because Yosuke needs answers, his worry for Saki to be missing is showing, and Souji knows that look all too well. “There’s... something you’re not telling us.”

 

Should he tell them? The deja vus he’s seeing, like everything had happened before? But if he were to tell them there might’ve been raised questions.

 

Yet... he has the urge to tell them what happened.

 

When he looks straight to Yosuke’s eyes, he couldn’t help but feel another bitter rue, like how he felt when he spend his time with Chie and Yukiko on his first day of school. Souji had an assumption, that— maybe— he made a sin to them in the past, or in another life. 

 

Another heartache he’s having, it’s faint so he doesn’t show it this time.

 

“If you’re wary of how I comprehend, reciprocate, and respond to all of this,” Souji gestures the world they’re currently in. “I’m only following with how I’m feeling.”

 

“A feeling.” Yosuke repeats.

 

Souji nods. “Yeah.”

 

Yosuke shakes his head in disbelief.

 

“Then, how did you know it‘s Saki-Senpai?”

 

“Because...” Souji looks down. “I feel like this all happened before.”

 

A silence passed.

 

“What?” Someone said, Souji didn’t know who it was because he’s brainstormed of what he just said.

 

_How could you forget after everything that happened?_

 

Souji shakes his head, trying to stay in the conversation. “When I first came here in Inaba, I... I see things that seemed it... happened before, from the frequent deja vus I’m having.” The Persona-user slowly said, everyone’s suddenly listening to him, especially Teddie. “Then, I had the expectancy and knowledge of what... will happen next. But I don’t know how I know, and  _why_   I’m having chest pains at specific moments that repeated itself.” Souji looks up. “I... I don’t know how it happened, but I’m planning on finding out why. You may not trust me, but... I mean no harm.”

 

Especially them, he feels a wistful rue from them, he doesn’t want to hurt anyone. Not Yosuke, Chie, Teddie, even Yukiko, and everyone else. 

 

Not them ever again.

 

_Wasn’t your selfishness enough to rewind your way back to how this all started?_

 

Souji doesn’t need to question himself even further how and why he knows this, and has the need to do what he needs to do. So, he needs to know why he’s suffering like this.

 

“So... you’re some sort of time traveler?” Chie blurted at an unexpected idea which somehow makes sense...? 

 

Is he? It seems like it. How else would he’d be vaguely aware what is happening?

 

The deja vus, it shows him the moments he might’ve been in before. The question is: how and why? When did this all happened before?

 

He doesn’t know, and the answers themselves might not reveal this sooner. Until then, he needs to follow what his heart is telling him.

 

“I don’t know what am I.” Souji admits, his eyes narrowing to a serious gaze as he stares at the three individuals. “But... I _know_ what  I know. With it, I’ll help you find Saki Konishi, because... she’s in grave danger.”

 

With mentioning Yosuke’s crush, Souji happens to face Yosuke, who also looks at him.

 

Yosuke levels Souji stares in silence, then sighs while scratching his dyed hair. “To be honest, I also have this... feeling that you may be right.”

 

Souji blinks. 

 

“When I look at you,” Yosuke slowly says. “I have the feeling we might’ve met before.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> July 10 2019:
> 
> Uwah! Sorry the update is incredibly slow! First semester keeps me from updating because— ugh! (● ˃̶͈̀ロ˂̶͈́)੭ꠥ⁾⁾
> 
> I swear I’ll update around this time. The draft for next chapter is almost done, I just have to add some details and check errors. ~_~;


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